A select House committee created two years ago by the new Republican majority to address threats posed by communist China will get a new lease on life in the next Congress, bolstered by bipartisan support and a slew of supportive top officials in the coming Trump administration, the panel’s chairman confirmed in an interview.
Rep. John Moolenaar, the Michigan Republican who heads the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, told The Washington Times he was “optimistic” about the panel’s prospects in the next Congress given some of the early picks President-elect Donald Trump has made to his national security team.
He cited in particular three Republican lawmakers with a reputation for being tough on Beijing offered high posts in the administration: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser, and New York Rep. Elena Stafanik as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Moolenaar said he was also encouraged by the bipartisan nature of the committee’s work in its first two years in existence
“I’m very optimistic that we’ll continue to make progress. The committee has been very bipartisan and that proves that bipartisanship is still possible when Democrats and Republicans come together against a common threat, a common adversary,” Rep. John Moolenaar, the Michigan Republican who chairs the select committee, told The Washington Times.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, set to keep his post as the GOP retained its slight majority in the House in the Nov. 5 election, has signaled that the select committee will continue its work, said Mr. Moolenaar, adding that he has heard from several members seeking to join it.
“So I’m very optimistic that we’re going to continue the momentum that we’ve established in this most recent Congress,” he said.
Mr. Moolenaar said nominees like Mr. Rubio, Mr. Waltz and Ms. Stefanik all shared many of the committee’s concerns about the need to confront China during their time on Capitol Hill.
The select committee, whose members are hand-picked by Republican and Democrat House leaders, was set up in December 2022 and includes 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats. Its activities include both economic and security activities aimed at preventing China from stealing advanced American technology and blocking Chinese companies from obtaining goods that can boost Beijing’s ongoing large-scale military buildup.
The committee has conducted dozens of hearings, business meetings and several investigations, along with sending scores of letters to key administration officials. The letters are signals to the executive branch on key issues that Congress is likely to influence through legislation or restrictions on funding in seeking to pressure the executive branch on key China topics in the federal budget.
In its first two years of operation, the panel has focused on a range of issues, including biosecurity and research security; banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok; confronting the ruling Communist Party’s repression inside China; highlighting environmental concerns; and preventing the loss of American technology to Chinese rivals.
The committee also is addressing China’s global malign influence activities, critical infrastructure and cyber dangers, transnational repression operations, economic aggression, suppression of democratic elements in Hong Kong, and policies toward the Uyghur minority that the U.S. government has officially labeled a genocide.
American arms sales to Taiwan, where China is stepping up aggression against the self-ruled island, also have been a key topic for the committee in its hearings, legislation and letters to both government and business leaders. The 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait remains one of the hottest flash points for a potential U.S.-China conflict and the panel has been credited with forging broad bipartisan support on Taiwan.
Bipartisan approach
Formally called the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, the committee was created in 2022 as an effort by Republicans to better coordinate China-related policies in the House that were spread among several committees. Despite strong rancor generally between Republicans and Democrats in Congress’ lower house, the committee has largely avoided partisan divisions, conducting its hearings and other initiatives in a bipartisan fashion.
Differences have arisen during some committee hearings with Democrats promoting party agenda issues, and Republicans also pursuing key GOP priorities.
Most select committee announcements are made jointly by Mr. Moolenaar and ranking Democratic member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, often in collaboration with other members.
Mr. Krishnamoorthi so far has rarely broken from that pattern. He provided solo support for some specific Biden administration actions, and in October criticized House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer for what he called “a baseless investigation” into reported China ties of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
The panel’s regular activities of hearings, reports and letters culminated in September with a week-long splurge of legislation dubbed “China Week.”
A total of 25 pieces of legislation targeting the Chinese Communist Party and the government were passed, ranging from restrictions on Chinese land purchase in the U.S. heartland and curbs on Chinese-made drones to issues related to security matters in the Taiwan Strait. Among the many bills were measures that would seek to secure U.S. supply chains from Chinese pressure or intervention, including on electric car batteries, health care and critical infrastructure.
Other bills would have tightened export controls on sensitive technology being sold to China, bolstered civil liberties and human rights in places like Hong Kong, and countered Chinese global influence operations.
The bills did not get votes in the Senate, but the panel said it hopes to add some measures to the next annual defense authorization bill and pass in stand-alone legislation.
GOP control
With both the Senate and House in Republican control during the next Congress, the committee has a great opportunity to pass the China legislation package, Mr. Moolenaar said, citing the Biosecure Act and the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act as priorities.
The Biosecure Act would prohibit federal agencies and companies that receive government funds from using biotechnology from companies linked to foreign adversaries like China. The bill seeks to protect Americans’ genetic data from Chinese government-backed companies, including the military company BGI Genomics and biotechnology companies Wuxi AppTec and Wuxi Biologics.
The De Minimis bill, introduced in April, seeks to close loopholes that allow Beijing to circumvent the tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. through an import process known as the “de minimis privilege.” This bill would impose civil penalties on importers who violate its provisions.
Mr. Moolenaar also wants comprehensive legislation in the next session that will codify in law a Biden administration executive order restricting investment in countries like China that threaten U.S. security. The Treasury Department issued regulations implementing the executive order restrictions last month.
Mr. Moolenaar said the regulations were overdue, but legislation cutting off the flow of money to the CCP is needed.
“We’re looking at Biosecure, outbound investment, de minimis — all key priorities that we’d like to move forward in this session, if possible,” Mr. Moolenaar said.
“Then in the new year we want to make sure we reset this relationship with China with respect to trade and economic policy, looking at ways to make sure that we prevent critical technologies from getting there, as well as areas where they’re treating our companies unfairly.”
On Thursday, Mr. Moolenaar introduced legislation that would revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status. China obtained the favorable trading benefit despite its state-run economy and lack of a market system.
“So the committee’s work is far from done. There’s a great opportunity to pass legislation in the next several weeks but also in the next Congress. We’re going to continue making sure we enact these key priorities,” he said.
Mr. Moolenaar said he believes the incoming Trump administration, with help from Mr. Rubio and Mr. Waltz, will complement the committee’s work.
Mr. Waltz worked closely with the panel in seeking U.S. investment restrictions “to make sure we’re not funding our own demise with American dollars,” Mr. Moolenaar said.
Mr. Rubio is expected to be a key ally. The Florida Republican senator has been clear-eyed about the threats posed by China in the South China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait, he said.
Overseas, the committee recognizes the global nature of the competition with China and will continue working to build stronger ties to allies and partners, such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, he said.
“We also want to make sure we don’t keep giving our taxpayer dollars to help the CCP advance their goals that we’ve been highlighting and want to continue to highlight,” Mr. Moolenaar said.
• Bill Gertz can be reached at bgertz@washingtontimes.com.