[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H794-H799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONDEMNING THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY'S USE OF A HIGH-ALTITUDE 
SURVEILLANCE BALLOON OVER UNITED STATES TERRITORY AS A BRAZEN VIOLATION 
                      OF UNITED STATES SOVEREIGNTY

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 104) condemning the Chinese Communist Party's use 
of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over United States territory as 
a brazen violation of United States sovereignty.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 104

       Whereas, on February 2, 2023, the Department of Defense 
     publicly announced it was tracking over United States 
     territory a high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging to 
     the People's Republic of China (PRC);
       Whereas the Department of Defense has since acknowledged 
     that North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) first 
     began tracking the surveillance balloon on January 28, 2023, 
     prior to its entry into United States airspace;
       Whereas the Secretary of Defense has stated that the 
     balloon ``was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil 
     strategic sites in the continental United States'';
       Whereas the surveillance balloon traveled near sensitive 
     United States national security facilities, including 
     Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana;
       Whereas, on February 4, 2023, a United States Air Force 
     aircraft shot down the surveillance balloon off the coast of 
     South Carolina;
       Whereas the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) intelligence 
     collection directed against the United States poses a threat 
     to United States interests and security;
       Whereas, while the PRC has a long history of intelligence 
     collection operations against United States national security 
     entities, reports of its espionage have risen significantly 
     in recent years;
       Whereas the CCP attempted to spread false claims about the 
     nature and purpose of the surveillance balloon, falsely 
     claiming it to be a weather balloon that veered off-course 
     due to ``force majeure'' events;
       Whereas, on February 3, 2023, the Secretary of State 
     postponed his planned trip to the PRC and referred to the 
     balloon incident as an ``irresponsible act and a clear 
     violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law that 
     undermined the purpose of the trip'';
       Whereas Article I of the Convention on International Civil 
     Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, states that 
     ``every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the 
     airspace above its territory'';
       Whereas although PRC surveillance balloons have previously 
     violated United States airspace, this incident differs from 
     those prior violations due to the length of time the balloon 
     spent over United States territory; and
       Whereas it is in the United States national security 
     interest to deter foreign adversaries from engaging in 
     intelligence collection and other malign activities within 
     United States territory and airspace: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns the PRC's brazen violation of United States 
     sovereignty;
       (2) denounces the CCP's efforts to deceive the 
     international community through false claims about its 
     intelligence collection campaigns in violation of United 
     States sovereignty;
       (3) determines that it should be the policy of the United 
     States to promptly and decisively act to prevent foreign 
     aerial surveillance platforms, including those directed by or 
     connected to the CCP, from violating United States 
     sovereignty; and
       (4) calls on the Biden administration to continue to keep 
     Congress apprised by providing comprehensive briefings on 
     this incident that include--
       (A) a complete account of all known infiltrations of the 
     national airspace by the PRC over the past several years, 
     regardless of platform;
       (B) a complete account of similar past incidents of the 
     PRC's use of surveillance balloons around the world;
       (C) a complete timeline of events for the most recent 
     infiltration from first detection to the eventual shootdown 
     of the balloon;
       (D) an assessment of what surveillance data the PRC was 
     potentially able to collect or transmit, via the balloon 
     while it was over United States territory;
       (E) a detailed account of what measures were taken to 
     mitigate the intelligence collection threat posed by the 
     balloon, the costs of those measures, and the impact on the 
     regular operations of the affected installations, platforms, 
     and personnel;
       (F) a description of what options were identified to 
     mitigate the threat, and a description and timing of the 
     recommendation the U.S. military made to the President 
     regarding those response options;
       (G) a detailed account of diplomatic communications between 
     the United States and the PRC regarding this incident, 
     including any demarches by Department of State personnel and 
     subsequent responses by the PRC; and
       (H) a detailed description of plans, capabilities, and 
     methods to deter and defeat intelligence collection 
     activities conducted by the PRC or other foreign adversaries 
     in the national airspace system and any additional 
     authorities needed from Congress to ensure detection and 
     defeat of these activities in the future.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this past week the Nation watched in shock as a Chinese 
surveillance balloon traversed much of the United States, including 
sensitive American military sites like Malmstrom Air Force Base in 
Montana. That base is one of the three places where our minuteman ICBM 
nuclear missiles are stored.
  Americans were rightfully deeply disturbed by this brazen violation 
of sovereignty by the Chinese Communist Party. This act of aggression 
was done on the eve of a scheduled meeting between Chairman Xi and 
Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That meeting was ultimately 
canceled.
  The balloon, I believe, was a test, a test of this administration to 
see how it would respond. I believe the President should have shot it 
down before it entered American airspace rather than allow it to cross 
over the Continental United States airspace.
  But make no mistake, this was another intentionally provocative act 
by the CCP. As I have said often, weakness invites aggression. This act 
will only further embolden and empower our enemies; it will embolden 
and empower Chairman Xi.
  Mr. Speaker, I have never seen a foreign nation adversary fly a 
reconnaissance aircraft that you could see from the ground with your 
own eyes. The CCP threat is now within sight for Americans across the 
heartland, a vision and memory that they will not forget.
  This is further proof that the CCP does not care about having a 
constructive relationship with the United States. It is publicly 
challenging U.S. interests, threatening Taiwan, supporting Russia's war 
of aggression in Ukraine, and now violating U.S. sovereignty.
  If there is any question whether the administration should request 
funds supporting Taiwan's foreign military financing grants, this 
incident alone should make it clear that the time is now to harden 
ourselves and our partners against the Chinese military aggression.
  An event like this, Mr. Speaker, must not happen again, and it cannot 
go unanswered. They only understand one thing and that is force, and 
that is projecting power; and we need to project power and force and 
strength against the Chinese Communist Party.
  They must understand that we do desire peace, but infringing upon our 
sovereignty leads us down a dangerous path. Our adversaries must 
believe that any future incursion into American airspace by a spy 
balloon or any other vehicle will be met with decisive force, and that 
is why the House should pass this resolution.
  The resolution, under section 4, does call for the Biden 
administration to continue to keep Congress apprised by providing 
comprehensive briefings on this incident that include--and there

[[Page H795]]

are many of these, but I want to go to the end,--most importantly, a 
detail description of plans, capabilities, and methods to deter and 
defeat intelligence collection activities conducted by the PRC or other 
foreign adversaries in the national airspace system and any additional 
authorities needed from Congress to ensure detection and defeat these 
activities in the future.
  I hope this administration will comply with this resolution. This 
resolution, I believe, sends a clear, bipartisan signal to the CCP and 
our adversaries around the world that this action will not be 
tolerated; to tell the world, with a united voice, that our national 
security is not a partisan issue.
  We stand together today with one voice, as Americans, Americans 
against this act of aggression by the Chinese Communist Party.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support of this resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 104, condemning the 
CCP's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the United 
States territory as a brazen violation of U.S. sovereignty, that was 
authored by my friend and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee,   Michael McCaul.
  Last week, the entire world witnessed a clear and unacceptable breach 
of U.S. sovereignty. I stand here today to strongly denounce the 
presence of the PRC balloon in the United States airspace.
  It is now up to Beijing to demonstrate, not just to the United States 
but to the world, that it is serious about respecting international 
rules and law, and that it is genuine about stabilizing relations with 
the United States.
  Secretary Blinken was on his way to Beijing to engage in diplomacy 
but, and I believe, correctly, canceled his trip. It was the PRC's 
irresponsible behavior that once again hindered U.S. efforts at 
dialogue and de-escalation because once we crossed that line, it will 
not be good for any nation; and that is why diplomacy is always 
important.
  The PRC also needs to come clean and stop pretending that this was a 
civilian airship gathering weather information that accidentally veered 
into the U.S. airspace. We all know, and now with the debris that we 
are picking up after the responsible shooting down of the balloon in 
the Atlantic Ocean, we all know that the PRC--it was a PRC surveillance 
balloon, full stop, and Beijing needs to own up to it.
  I thank the Biden administration for the transparency that we learned 
that this was not the first time that the PRC balloon has transited 
over U.S. airspace. In fact, this has happened at least three times 
during the Trump administration and once before during this 
administration.

  We also learned that last week's incident was part of a larger PRC 
global surveillance operation that has infringed on the sovereignty and 
threatened the security of nations across five continents.
  We read this morning, in various public forums, like The New York 
Times and The Washington Post, that we have gained knowledge by 
shooting this balloon down in the Atlantic Ocean. As we dig it up, we 
will find more information and be able to share it with our allies so 
that we can collectively make sure that the violation of sovereignty 
does not continue by the PRC.
  Over the weekend when this incident happened, I was talking to a 
number of members of my staff and they were telling me they were in the 
SCIF being informed by the administration of things that were going on. 
It is that kind of transparency and information that must continue, and 
I thank them for that.
  Finally, let me just say that I thank the Biden administration for 
bringing that balloon down. I don't believe that China thought we would 
take it down. We did. We benefited from it. We have learned from it. We 
are examining it. We are working with our allies to make sure that our 
sovereignty is not invaded by the PRC.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Fry), who personally eyewitnessed 
the spy balloon in the Atlantic Ocean as it was shot down on the 
beaches right off of his district, off the coast of his district in 
South Carolina.
  Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 104, a 
resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-
altitude surveillance balloon over United States territory as a brazen 
violation of United States sovereignty, introduced by House Foreign 
Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas.
  I would never have imagined that my Saturday afternoon would have 
been disrupted due to a Chinese spy balloon. Not only did it float 
across most of South Carolina, it floated across the entire Continental 
United States, and ended up over my district and, out of all places in 
this country, the balloon was shot down right off the coast of my 
hometown, Surfside Beach, which I represent.
  And yes, it does--if you watched it and if you were there on the 
ground--sound like it was straight out of a sci-fi movie.
  There is no question that the response or, rather, lack of response 
from this administration, in my opinion, was negligent.
  More than 19 million people annually visit our area to enjoy our 
beautiful beaches and southern hospitality along more than 60 miles of 
coast that is known as the Grand Strand.
  Myrtle Beach is known for many things, Mr. Speaker, but part of that 
equation has never been an international incident taking place right 
off of our shores.

                              {time}  1030

  The Chinese Communist Party last Friday, February 3, said that this 
was merely a weather balloon gathering meteorological data that got 
lost in our country. It is comical to me that they would actually think 
that we would fall for such a bogus claim.
  Let me be clear: This was a blatant violation of American sovereignty 
as part of the comprehensive surveillance program on the United States 
as well as other countries across the globe.
  This was a test by the Chinese Communist Party, and it saddens me to 
say that I think this administration failed that test.
  This is the United States. Our foreign policy has always been built 
on peace through strength. This is our wake-up call. It is time for 
President Biden to step up on the world stage and take a page from one 
of my favorite Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt: Speak softly and carry a 
big stick. While diplomacy should always be our first objective, we 
must be prepared to respond with strength when necessary.
  This resolution shows that the U.S. House of Representatives, in a 
bipartisan fashion, condemns the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to 
deceive the international community with their false claims of 
intelligence collection. I call on this administration to promptly and 
decisively act to further prevent surveillance attempts in the future.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman), a member of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, China says it reserves the right to 
retaliate against America for the temerity of shooting down their spy 
balloon over our territory. This arrogance should not surprise us. It 
is the fruit of decades of China successfully pushing us around and 
getting away with murder. The balloon is just the latest, and I think 
the smallest, invasion of our sovereignty.
  China denies access to American companies to its market, thus 
creating the most lopsided trading relationship in the history of 
trading relationships, with all the macroeconomic effects that has.
  But it also has an effect on our sovereignty, because it then allows 
access to their markets to selected American companies, handing out 
that access like dog training treats. And lo and behold, our 
corporations, they roll over, they sit down, they play dead. Morgan 
Stanley has to tell its American customers to invest--advises them to 
invest 15 percent of their money in China; and if it fails to do so, 
Morgan Stanley won't be able to do business in China.
  God forbid anybody from the NBA mentions Hong Kong or the Uyghurs. 
They are bounced out of the league.

[[Page H796]]

  And Hollywood is told they can only get 40 movies into China every 
year, which means if they make a movie about Tibet, it will not be 
shown in China. Hell, if they make a movie about Tibet, none of their 
movies will ever be shown in China. As a result, we are not going to 
see a movie about Tibet or the Uyghurs. China controls what we see on 
our screens.
  And then a little problem with COVID, where China's obfuscation and 
lack of cooperation led to hundreds of thousands of deaths around the 
world.
  But most significantly are the millions of jobs that we have lost as 
we have seen our industry hollowed out. The result is a decline in real 
wages over the last 30 years of Americans without college degrees and 
the fentanyl crisis as well.
  All of these offenses deserve a major response, and we cannot limit 
that response to just this balloon. Like a balloon, we cannot allow 
this to all blow over.
  I have five modest proposals.
  First, we should sell identified weapon systems to Taiwan, including 
the helicopters.
  Second, we should provide that China automatically loses its most-
favored-nation status if they invade or blockade Taiwan.
  Third, all major American corporations should report to their 
shareholders how they would be affected by a rupture in the U.S.-China 
trade relationship, because that is a genuine risk factor. It might 
happen. But that will encourage the companies to disengage from China 
and to build resiliency to compete for capital by showing shareholders 
that they are ready and that they have disengaged. And if our companies 
are resilient, our economy is resilient.
  Fourth, we need a fund to compensate American companies that choose 
not to bow down to China and, therefore, suffer losses. This needs to 
be funded from a tariff on Chinese goods.
  And, fifth, we need tough responses to China in tariffs if they 
retaliate for any of the four things I just identified.
  We have a lot to do. This balloon has woken up the American people, 
and it should wake us up to the far greater things that China has done.
  In the meantime, let's pass this resolution.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), the vice chair of the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs and another eyewitness to this act of aggression as the balloon 
traveled across her State, the State of Missouri.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for yielding the 
time and for this resolution. I rise in support of the resolution.
  Literally, from the heart of Missouri's Second Congressional 
District, there I was, in the suburbs of St. Louis County, as I watched 
this spy balloon with my own eyes. I wasn't the only one. I was getting 
calls from friends and family all over Missouri who were horrified that 
this was allowed to happen.
  We watched in real time from our backyards and workplaces as a 
foreign aircraft equipped with spyware navigated over our 
neighborhoods, our military installations, and our vital 
infrastructure.
  As this spy balloon approached Alaska, the response should have been 
crystal clear. It should have been shot down before it entered our 
skies. Instead, the Biden administration waffled again. They knowingly 
allowed a foreign military aircraft equipped with spyware to invade 
U.S. sovereign territory and navigate itself unimpeded all across the 
country, putting the privacy of countless Americans at risk.
  Communist China issued a deliberate and serious provocation. Instead 
of responding with strength and resolve, the administration showed the 
dictatorship in Beijing that they could again be bullied.
  President Biden's weakness and indecision send a dangerous signal to 
our adversaries like Iran, Russia, and North Korea, and it certainly 
does not give confidence to our allies.
  It is unconscionable that the administration waited so long to take 
action and protect our national security, infrastructure, and military 
assets. The administration needs to take action to correct its mistake 
and to restore American deterrence.
  Congress must get to the bottom of this deeply disturbing episode. We 
have a duty to our constituents, many of whom feel much less safe today 
than they did at about this time a week ago.
  I can tell you that that is the case in Missouri's Second 
Congressional District, where families literally watched as a foreign 
military aircraft flew over their private property, collecting data 
about their lives to send back to Beijing.
  Mr. Speaker, this must never happen again. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in supporting H. Res. 104.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member and thank 
the managers of this bill for their work.
  This was no weather balloon. This was a spy balloon.
  Let me be very clear: Members of both sides of the aisle, Democrats 
and Republicans, are standing before the American people and 
recognizing that this resolution of the Chinese Communist Party's 
actions are appropriate, and we should, as Americans, denounce their 
actions.
  Let me be very clear as well: I want to congratulate United States 
military intelligence officials and others who effectively took the 
Commander in Chief's order that occurred on February 1 to shoot it 
down, and they handled themselves with the greatest amount of 
appropriateness to ensure that the American people were safe, to 
contain the threat, and to do their job.
  It serves no purpose to suggest that the Commander in Chief, 
President Joe Biden, failed the American people or did anything wrong.
  Interestingly enough, in the midst of the spy balloon, over 70 
percent of the American people believe that Joe Biden took to the 
podium in the State of the Union and gave them enough comfort that the 
State of the Union is well, our souls are strong, and the American 
people are strong.
  Yes, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am keenly 
aware and concerned about this Nation's national security, keenly aware 
of the timeframe in which this spy balloon came into our eyesight.
  With that in mind, even as it traversed the United States, I can 
assure you, in spite of the chronicling of the facts here, that General 
Austin, the Department of Defense, and others that were responsible for 
our safety, pursuant to the direction of the Commander in Chief, 
followed this spy balloon and were able to handle it appropriately in 
the course of shooting it down.
  Finally, let me say: It is important that we use this as a 
condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party. Let us not use this to 
intimidate Chinese Americans or to be able to create atmospheres of 
hate. I denounce that, and I denounce SB 147 in the State of Texas that 
wants to stop Chinese Americans from buying property. That is not the 
American way.
  What is the American way is to stand as Democrats and Republicans and 
others and Members of Congress to take our full responsibility, 
alongside the executive, to ensure your national security. We have done 
that.

  We have the facts, we know the traversing, and I can assure you that 
the Chinese Americans have not engaged themselves in this activity and 
should not be condemned.
  The Chinese Communist Party is aware of the strength of the people of 
the United States and their defense.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International 
Organizations.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for 
offering this very important and very timely resolution. It asks many 
of the tough questions that have to be asked, and we need answers.
  Mr. Speaker, journalist Paul Bedard wrote an incisive article on 
February 3 entitled: ``Dry run: Balloons called top `delivery platform' 
for nuclear EMP attack.'' It points out that, obviously, the grid would 
be fried; we would be unable to do just about anything. Here is a 
balloon going over our military installations, including our ICBM base, 
with the capability to launch an EMP attack. Did we know it? Did it 
have such a payload? We have no idea.

[[Page H797]]

  Let me also say surveillance was at a minimum what was happening. It 
should have been shot down much sooner over the Aleutian Islands in a 
way that would have just stopped this unbelievable breach of U.S. 
sovereignty.
  He quotes in this article a man by the name of David Stuckenberg, who 
is an EMP expert, and he says: ``A high altitude balloon could be 
designed, created, and launched in a matter of months.'' And that is 
what they did. ``There is nothing to prevent several hundred pounds of 
weapons material from being delivered'' from that altitude. He talks 
about the flyover as being a dry run.
  They are testing us, and we did not rise to that challenge.
  Let me say to my friends and colleagues: The militaristic aspirations 
of the PRC and Xi Jinping are global. He watches his enemies, 
obviously, in the region, but he looks at the entire world, and he has 
a multi-year plan for conquest.
  Finally, I have chaired 76 congressional hearings on human rights 
abuses in China. I am barred from going there by the CCP.
  Xi Jinping and the CCP systematically murder, jail, torture, 
persecute, and commit genocide against their own citizens. As we all 
know, it does pose an existential threat to its neighbors in the region 
and to the United States.
  We need to up our game and mitigate the threat to our own people. 
Americans deserve better, and this resolution is asking the tough 
questions so that happens.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1045

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Kim), chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Indo-Pacific.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for 
yielding and for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution condemning 
the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-altitude surveillance 
balloon over U.S. territory as a brazen violation of U.S. sovereignty 
and international norms.
  The balloon has been shot down, and I thank those who bravely 
completed the mission.
  However, many questions remain, and intelligence reports show what we 
all knew: This was neither a coincidence nor something to be taken 
lightly.
  This surveillance balloon was part of a larger program by the CCP 
that has collected information on military assets in Indo-Pacific 
countries like Taiwan, Japan, India, and the Philippines.
  We all know that this balloon does not even scratch the surface of 
the CCP's surveillance capabilities. Millions of Americans are spied 
upon every single day through TikTok and other state-affiliated 
applications and technologies.
  Whether in airspace or cyberspace, we cannot allow the CCP to spy on 
us. We cannot allow the CCP to threaten our way of life and the 
American Dream.
  The time to project strength is now. We must defend our airspace, 
send a strong signal to the CCP that this behavior will not be 
tolerated, and equip our allies with the tools they need to deter and 
defend against CCP's aggression.
  As the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee chair, I am committed to getting 
answers from the Biden administration about when they knew the CCP's 
balloon was entering the U.S. airspace and what they know about the CCP 
balloon program.
  We need to ensure the United States responds to this type of 
aggression with strong, decisive action from our leaders.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say that the Biden administration--we just had a 
classified hearing so the questions could be asked. They have been 
transparent. If there are any questions that need to be asked--as I 
said earlier, my staff and other staff were informed and briefed.
  The fact of the matter is the Biden administration has declassified a 
lot of the information, and that is why we read it in The New York 
Times today and in The Washington Post yesterday. The American people 
know what is going on.
  There is no secrecy in what took place. We know that there was a 
decision, as indicated in the Times today, that we would get more 
information by bringing it down in the Atlantic Ocean and obtaining the 
balloon, looking at it, learning from it, having more of a benefit than 
China did with what its civilian balloon was attempting to do. We know 
that.
  If there is any question that any Member of Congress has about what 
took place or transpired, one, you can first just go to The New York 
Times or The Washington Post; two, yesterday, Secretary of State 
Blinken held a press conference; or you could have gone to the 
classified hearing this morning where all the decisionmakers were 
present to ask any question that you wanted to. There has been complete 
transparency by the Biden administration.
  Mr. Speaker, I conclude by saying there is one thing that we all 
agree upon, that the United States' sovereignty was crossed by the PRC. 
There is one thing that we can agree upon, that the PRC are the ones 
that violated it and sent a civilian balloon not only here to the 
United States but, as we have learned, over five continents.
  We have to work collectively together to isolate the PRC and its 
dictatorship for the harm and spying that it is doing across this 
globe.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Zinke), an original cosponsor of this bill and yet another 
Member who witnessed the spy balloon as it flew over his State of 
Montana.
  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to death that both sides 
recognize it is a problem, and it is. Let's call it like it is.
  First of all, I don't expect China to tell the truth. It says it was 
a civilian airship. We know that is a lie.
  Nor do I appreciate the Biden administration's explanations. Let's go 
through them really quickly.
  Number one was remote. Our concern not to shoot it down was because 
it was going someplace remote or we could have collateral damage on the 
ground. It went through the Aleutian chain, one of the most remote 
places on the planet. As a former SEAL, I can tell you there is not a 
lot out there.
  Then, it went over Montana. Petroleum County, for instance, has 434 
people in it. That is less than the United States Congress. I can 
guarantee you, the chance of hitting collateral damage was probably 
more off the coast of Myrtle Beach than it was in Montana.
  They even suggest, well, we gained great intelligence as it meandered 
from Montana to the Carolinas because we were monitoring what the 
Chinese were spying on. That is like inviting a burglar to your house 
just to see what he takes.
  Look, it is a problem and has been a problem. Also, to blame the 
Trump administration--look, I was Secretary of State. Does anyone in 
this body or anyone in America remember a balloon the size of three 
buses at 65,000 feet going from Montana to North Carolina? I mean, come 
on. We all recognize it is a problem.
  Lastly, if this administration can't figure a balloon out, then how 
can we figure out Taiwan?
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Moran), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul and the ranking 
member for H. Res. 104. Mr. Speaker, I stand to support this 
resolution.
  The sovereignty of any nation should, at the very least, be defined 
by its physical barriers. Certainly, sovereignty extends far beyond 
geographic borders, but at its base, a sovereign nation not only has 
the right to defend itself against intrusion, but it has the 
responsibility to do so.
  Daily, our executive branch chooses policy pathways in the areas of 
national defense, foreign affairs, and homeland security that weaken 
the sovereignty of these United States. We see this on the southern 
border on a minute-by-minute basis.
  This past week, we saw this weak-minded leadership when we failed to

[[Page H798]]

take timely and decisive action to shoot down what we knew was an 
intelligence-gathering balloon on a mission from the Chinese Communist 
Party.
  This Nation is capable of strong and decisive action to protect its 
national interests, but we must be willing to act on this capability.
  Let the foreign affairs and national defense policies in this Nation 
be strong, strategic, and steady. If we are not, our sovereignty will 
certainly erode to nothing.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand again to support H. Res. 104 and appreciate the 
bipartisan support on this issue. In doing so, I stand to support the 
sovereignty of the United States and the security of its people.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Kean), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe.
  Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 
104, which rightfully condemns this violation of the United States' 
sovereignty by the Chinese Communist Party.
  Last week, we saw the Chinese Communist Party breach U.S. airspace 
with the intention of openly surveilling sensitive U.S. national 
security facilities, including locations housing nuclear missiles. This 
is unacceptable and demonstrates again that the CCP is willing to 
challenge the United States and to flaunt its intelligence-gathering 
operations in our country.
  The Biden administration owes the American people an explanation as 
to why earlier action was not taken against this threat. Why is any 
foreign government allowed to act in this fashion without an immediate 
response from the U.S.?
  We must project strength, not weakness, if this Nation wants to be 
taken seriously on the world stage.
  I thank the men and women of our Armed Forces who carried out this 
mission to remove this surveillance from our skies. I will continue 
working with my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee to support 
our partners in the Indo-Pacific to address this threat posed by the 
CCP and to provide appropriate oversight over this administration.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 104 is an opportunity for this body to denounce 
the People's Republic of China's repeated infringement of U.S. 
sovereignty. The events of the past week and our response to it, 
including this resolution, reveal the PRC's irresponsible actions to 
the world and demonstrate that the United States will always act to 
defend our sovereignty and work with our allies.
  Indeed, this balloon traveled over Canada and, as we said, over five 
continents. There are conversations that our allies are having 
collectively to make sure that sovereignty is preserved.
  Through its measured and effective action that safeguarded civilian 
life and prevented escalation, the Biden administration showcased to 
the world once again that the United States is the responsible power. 
By swiftly sharing information about the PRC's global surveillance 
efforts, we have strengthened the confidence and trust that our allies 
and partners have in us.
  In short, the PRC came out on the bottom and America came out on top.
  With the confidence that we will continue to do so in our competition 
with the PRC, I hope that all of my colleagues join me in condemning 
the PRC's violation of our sovereignty and support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say that lies, deceit, espionage, spying, 
this is nothing new.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember, in 1997, I was assigned to a case at the 
Department of Justice to prosecute a man named Johnny Chung. He was 
taking money from Chinese intelligence officials, from China Aerospace, 
to put into the Clinton campaign to influence the election because 
China wanted to influence the election back then. They wanted 
satellites. They wanted aerospace technology. That is why they were 
doing it then.
  Guess what? My FBI agent got indicted for espionage for sleeping with 
a Chinese spy--imagine that--a Chinese spy who for 20 years was 
cultivated as an FBI asset. Her name was Katrina Leung. I will never 
forget it because all the information I gave my agent went straight 
back to the mother ship in Beijing. A Chinese spy, 20 years cultivated, 
became a double agent reporting back to Beijing, and we can't release 
those documents from 20 years ago, 30 years ago.

                              {time}  1100

  But this--this one--takes the cake: a balloon this brazen that is 
only 60,000 feet above the ground and that can be seen with the naked 
eye surveilling the United States of America.
  We talked at our organizational meeting last night about how this 
committee is bipartisan. We are bipartisan. We are bipartisan on this 
issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I will tell you this: If there is anything this Congress 
should get done--I challenge the other side of the aisle--let's stand 
together against this common enemy that we have.
  Our enemy is not each other. Our enemies are foreign enemy nations 
like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea--China being the largest 
foreign state adversary and the biggest threat long term to the 
national security interests of the United States.
  Let's do it with one voice. Let's put our partisan politics aside and 
do what is right for America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lawler). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 104.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 104 
will be followed by 5-minute votes on:
  Passage of H.J. Res. 24; and
  Passage of H.J. Res. 26.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 419, 
nays 0, not voting 15, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 117]

                               YEAS--419

     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Alford
     Allen
     Allred
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Auchincloss
     Babin
     Baird
     Balderson
     Balint
     Banks
     Barr
     Barragan
     Bean (FL)
     Beatty
     Bentz
     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Bice
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NC)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Boebert
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Bowman
     Boyle (PA)
     Brecheen
     Brown
     Brownley
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budzinski
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Burlison
     Bush
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Caraveo
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carey
     Carl
     Carson
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (LA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Casar
     Case
     Casten
     Castro (TX)
     Chavez-DeRemer
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Cicilline
     Ciscomani
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Cleaver
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyburn
     Clyde
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins
     Comer
     Connolly
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Craig
     Crane
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crockett
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Curtis
     D'Esposito
     Davids (KS)
     Davidson
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (NC)
     De La Cruz
     Dean (PA)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deluzio
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donalds
     Duarte
     Dunn (FL)
     Edwards
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Estes
     Evans
     Ezell
     Fallon
     Feenstra
     Ferguson
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fletcher
     Flood
     Foster
     Foushee
     Foxx
     Frankel, Lois
     Franklin, C. Scott
     Frost
     Fry
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garbarino
     Garcia (TX)
     Garcia, Mike
     Garcia, Robert
     Gimenez
     Golden (ME)
     Goldman (NY)
     Gomez
     Gonzales, Tony
     Gonzalez, Vicente
     Good (VA)
     Gooden (TX)
     Gosar
     Gottheimer
     Granger
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Green, Al (TX)
     Greene (GA)
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hageman
     Harder (CA)
     Harris
     Harshbarger
     Hayes
     Hern
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinson
     Horsford
     Houchin
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Hoyle (OR)
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga
     Issa
     Ivey
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson (NC)

[[Page H799]]


     Jackson (TX)
     Jackson Lee
     Jacobs
     James
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (PA)
     Kamlager-Dove
     Kaptur
     Kean (NJ)
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Khanna
     Kiggans (VA)
     Kildee
     Kiley
     Kilmer
     Kim (CA)
     Kim (NJ)
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaLota
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Landsman
     Langworthy
     Larsen (WA)
     Latta
     LaTurner
     Lawler
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (FL)
     Lee (NV)
     Lee (PA)
     Leger Fernandez
     Lesko
     Letlow
     Levin
     Lieu
     Lofgren
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luna
     Luttrell
     Lynch
     Mace
     Magaziner
     Malliotakis
     Mann
     Manning
     Massie
     Mast
     Matsui
     McBath
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClain
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McCormick
     McGarvey
     McGovern
     Meeks
     Menendez
     Meng
     Meuser
     Mfume
     Miller (IL)
     Miller (OH)
     Miller (WV)
     Miller-Meeks
     Mills
     Molinaro
     Moolenaar
     Mooney
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (UT)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran
     Morelle
     Moskowitz
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Mullin
     Murphy
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Nehls
     Newhouse
     Nickel
     Norcross
     Norman
     Nunn (IA)
     Obernolte
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Ogles
     Omar
     Owens
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peltola
     Pence
     Perez
     Perry
     Peters
     Pettersen
     Pfluger
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Porter
     Posey
     Pressley
     Quigley
     Ramirez
     Raskin
     Reschenthaler
     Rodgers (WA)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose
     Rosendale
     Ross
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rutherford
     Ryan
     Salazar
     Salinas
     Sanchez
     Santos
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Scholten
     Schrier
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Self
     Sessions
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simpson
     Slotkin
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Sorensen
     Spanberger
     Spartz
     Stansbury
     Stanton
     Stauber
     Steel
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Stevens
     Stewart
     Strickland
     Strong
     Sykes
     Takano
     Tenney
     Thanedar
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tokuda
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Turner
     Underwood
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Van Orden
     Vargas
     Vasquez
     Veasey
     Velazquez
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Waltz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wexton
     Wild
     Williams (GA)
     Williams (NY)
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Zinke

                             NOT VOTING--15

     Bacon
     Castor (FL)
     Duncan
     Garcia (IL)
     Hunt
     Joyce (OH)
     Kuster
     Larson (CT)
     Luetkemeyer
     McHenry
     Pocan
     Scott, David
     Soto
     Steube
     Swalwell

                              {time}  1123

  Mses. FOXX, GRANGER, and Mr. HIMES changed their vote from ``nay'' to 
``yea.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted 
``yea'' on rollcall No. 117.

                          ____________________