‘Beijing is our number one foreign threat. They exploit every nook and cranny in our financial and economic systems’ Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he supports renewing the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for a second term, noting its instrumental role in exposing the dangers of the Chinese regime.
The House Select Committee on the CCP was founded in January 2023 to build consensus on China’s threat and develop a plan to defend the American people and economy.
Since then, the committee has conducted hearings and investigations, and released reports detailing policy recommendations. Recently, the committee formed a bipartisan working group to counter China’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains.
In a July 8 press conference at the Hudson Institute in Washington, Mr. Johnson said he backed the committee to continue its “important work,” in countering the influence of the CCP.
As speaker, Mr Johnson’s endorsement will carry influence, but ultimately, it will be up to the rest of the House members to vote on renewing the committee for a second term. A select committee generally expires on completion of its designated duties.
“Beijing is our number one foreign threat. They exploit every nook and cranny in our financial and economic systems. And the Select Committee has been very instrumental, as you know, in exposing the dangers of the CCP,” Mr. Johnson said.
“Congress must keep our focus on countering China with every tool at our disposal. In the short time remaining in this Congress, we’re busy at this already. The House will be voting on a series of bills to empower the next administration to hit our enemies’ economies on day one.”
“We will vote on the BIOSECURE Act, which will halt federal contracts with biotech companies that are beholden to adversaries and endanger Americans[‘] healthcare data. We’ll rein in the de minimis privilege for any good subject to Section 301 trade enforcement tariffs, and that will help stymie China’s attempts to exploit American trade,” Mr. Johnson said.
He also said there are sanctions packages aimed at punishing the Chinese military firms providing material support to Russia and Iran.
“These authoritarian countries, and their proxies, have expansionist goals and are collaborating to harm the United States and subvert its global influence,” Mr. Johnson said.
“The Chinese Communist Party seeks to supplant the United States as the preeminent global power[,] is forming an economic bloc of partners and quickly building its up military to threaten and coerce the U.S. and its allies.”
Mr. Johnson says the goal is to have a “significant package of China-related legislation signed into law by the end of this year,” featuring these priorities and “many more.”
CCP House Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) applauded Mr. Johnson’s support for the committee in a July 8 press release and promised to work with both sides of the aisle to help further U.S. interests.
“What the Chinese Communist Party fears most is a united America where Democrats and Republicans work together to defend our nation,” Mr. Moolenaar said.
“For the remainder of this Congress and into the next, the Select Committee will work in a bipartisan manner and alongside the committees of jurisdiction to continue to protect the United States and our values from the malign influence of our nation’s foremost adversary, the Chinese Communist Party,” he added.
