House Republicans mounted an eleventh-hour push last month to block Chinese-military-linked biotech firms from operating in the U.S., National Review has exclusively learned.

In a letter on November 12, a dozen Republican lawmakers asked House speaker Mike Johnson to prioritize the advance of the BIOSECURE Act before the end of the current congressional session. The bill would effectively block a handful of Chinese-military-connected firms, including BGI and WuXi AppTec, from operating in the U.S.

In a move unusual for House lawmakers, they did not publicize the letter. National Review obtained a copy this week.

“We are writing to express our appreciation and support for your efforts to confront the economic and national security threat from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) consistent attempts to steal and leverage American’s genomic information,” the group wrote.

“We are writing you today to encourage your strong actions to address this national security threat before the end of the year.”

The letter’s signatories include Representatives Nick Langworthy, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Jim Comer, Neal Dunn, John Joyce, Kat Cammack, Robert Latta, Troy Nehls, Zach Nunn, Laurel Lee, Jeff Duncan, and William Timmons.

A spokesperson for the speaker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment today.

The House passed the BIOSECURE Act in a 306–81 vote in September and is waiting on the Senate to act. The letter suggests that the lawmakers want Johnson to include BIOSECURE in a broader legislative package, such as the annual defense authorization bill, as the legislation’s prospects as a stand-alone measure appear slim.

“Mr. Speaker, you have repeatedly identified the BIOSECURE Act as one of the important pieces of legislation you want to see finalized in the 118th Congress. We thank you for that, support your efforts, and will do whatever we can to help het BIOSECURE over the finish line before the end of the year,” the lawmakers wrote.