On Thursday, September 19th, 11 Republican senators, including Jim Risch, the leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, jointly introduced a comprehensive anti-Communist bill aimed at assisting the United States and its allies and partners in achieving victory in strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The bill, known as the “STRATEGIC Act of 2024,” includes a series of strong measures to address the threats posed by the CCP. These measures include:
– Reform of the Foreign Agents Registration Act: revoking exemptions for foreign adversaries under the Lobbying and Disclosure Act and granting the Department of Justice the authority to issue civil investigative demands.
– Countering CCP’s malign influence: enhancing the transparency of think tanks, prohibiting U.S. universities from accepting certain conditional gifts and contracts, enhancing research security, and exposing CCP harassment and abuse of U.S. diplomats.
– Implementing a strategic infrastructure plan: focusing on digital, transportation, and energy sectors, strengthening supply chain security, and reducing trade barriers for partner countries.
– Combating CCP’s predatory economic practices: including antitrust reforms, a new measure against economic coercion, and prohibiting the World Bank from contracting with Chinese companies. Additionally, expanding the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to cover agricultural investments posing national security risks.
– Strengthening international security: by curbing the proliferation of Chinese drone systems in the Middle East and modifying the Missile Technology Control Regime to enhance cooperation within the AUKUS security partnership (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).
– Enhancing support for Taiwan and partner countries facing CCP threats: establishing a State Department/Treasury Department task force to identify targets for sanctions, export controls, and other economic measures before CCP military actions are taken.
– Protecting U.S. interests in international organizations and supporting human rights.
– Strengthening oversight of U.S. government funding for joint biological research with China.
The co-sponsors of the bill include Pete Ricketts, Todd Young, John Barrasso, Mike Crapo, Bill Cassidy, Dan Sullivan, Mitt Romney, John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, and Shelley Moore Capito.
Senator Jim Risch stated in a press release that while the CCP poses a significant threat to the U.S., Congress has failed to legislate in key areas to safeguard U.S. and allied interests. He emphasized that the legislation takes robust steps to protect these interests and provides operational provisions to aid strategic competition with China. He expressed eagerness to see more reports and research, emphasizing that it is time to start implementing policies.
Senator Todd Young stated, “The Strategic Act arrives at a crucial moment as the CCP continues to disrupt security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. This bill includes multiple important measures to counter the CCP, strengthen U.S. supply chains, and enhance support for Taiwan.”
Senator John Barrasso remarked, “China is our biggest economic competitor and one of the greatest geopolitical threats the U.S. faces in the 21st century. Action must be taken. Our Strategic Act will bolster U.S. national security, elevate our global competitiveness, and push back against CCP’s economic predation.”
Senator Dan Sullivan pointed out, “There is a consensus in Congress that the CCP is the greatest strategic threat to the U.S. This bill aims to protect U.S. and our allies’ interests in the region and combat CCP’s global influence.”
The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process. It must be approved in a consistent form by both the Senate and the House before being sent to the President for signing into law. With the approaching 2024 U.S. election, the current session of Congress will end in early January next year.