It Is Time for Congress to Move Stalled CCP Legislation
The Protecting America Initiative has long highlighted the fact that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is actively engaged in an effort to overtake America as the world’s foremost superpower. If the importance of protecting America wasn’t already clear, the Chinese government this week provocatively referred to their readiness to fight a war against the United States. In a statement released on March 5th, the Chinese government said, “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end.”
This clear threat may have gone unnoticed by mainstream media, but it underscores what observers of the situation already knew – the government of China thinks of the United States not as a trade partner but as an adversary for supremacy in the world. Leaders of the CCP have long been focused on world domination in both military and economic terms. This most recent statement, however, is the first time that officials in Beijing have equated trade policy with actual war.
Lawmakers Started the Process Last Year and Fell Short
President Trump is taking action to slow the CCP’s aggression. States across the country are doing their part to protect American land and jobs. And in many ways, the U.S. Congress has confronted the problem last year by drafting dozens of bills. In one week, the House of Representatives passed 25 bills that would have helped bolster America’s defense against Chinese government influence. These bills regularly drew bipartisan support in the House of Representatives but were never even considered in the Senate. These bills included:
Protecting American agricultural land from CCP purchases.
Increasing penalties for economic espionage.
Safeguarding scientific research at American universities.
Prohibiting foreign adversaries from receiving taxpayer money.
Sanctioning foreign entities that send fentanyl into the United States.
The reason all of these bills died is a matter of debate, but it is reasonable to assume that the Senate under Democratic control did not want to consider bills that would highlight President Trump’s tough stance on China during an election. That plan may have backfired in November 2024 when Republicans won control of the White House, House of Representatives, and United States Senate. It is now time for Congress to follow the lead of state legislatures across the country and push this legislation across the finish line.
A New Strategy to Enact Federal Legislation
The vast majority of the legislation advanced last year to curtail CCP influence and protect America's national security passed with large bipartisan support when considered in the House, where a simple majority is required to pass a bill. In the Senate, rules of debate generally require that these bills attain 60 votes to pass and be sent to the President’s desk. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning that leaders can schedule votes but must get Democratic support to pass these bills.
With the clear aggression of the CCP on full display, Congress should be emboldened to re-engage in its efforts to pass these 25 bills this year. Any elected official who defends Communist China should be held accountable to their constituents. In order to do so, the House and Senate must put bills up for a vote and expose lawmakers who oppose them.
The Protecting America Initiative will build on our success in the states and expand our efforts to enact laws to stop the CCP on the federal level. In weeks to come, we will outline a full federal agenda that provides a policy roadmap for Congress. We will then work to see these bills voted on and passed in the House and Senate. Now is the time to stop the legislative logjam and show voters where their representatives truly stand.