[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 139 (Monday, September 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5066-H5068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COUNTERING THE PRC MALIGN INFLUENCE FUND AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023
Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1157) to provide for the authorization of appropriations for the
Countering the People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1157
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Countering the PRC Malign
Influence Fund Authorization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR COUNTERING THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA MALIGN INFLUENCE
FUND.
(a) Countering the People's Republic of China Malign
Influence Fund.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
$325,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 for
the Countering the People's Republic of China Malign
Influence Fund to counter the malign influence of the Chinese
Communist Party and the Government of the People's Republic
of China and entities acting on their behalf globally.
(2) Availability; amounts in addition to other amounts.--
Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under paragraph (1)--
(A) are authorized to remain available until expended; and
(B) shall be in addition to amounts otherwise authorized to
be appropriated for the purposes described in paragraph (1).
(b) Consultation Required.--The obligation of funds
appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
under subsection (a) or otherwise made available for the
purposes described in subsection (a)(1) shall be subject to
prior consultation with, and consistent with section 634A of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394-1), the
regular notification procedures of--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(c) Policy Guidance, Coordination, and Approval.--
(1) Coordinator.--The Secretary of State shall designate an
existing senior official of the Department of State to
provide policy guidance, coordination, and approval for the
obligation of funds appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a).
(2) Assistant coordinator.--The Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development shall designate
an existing senior official of the United States Agency for
International Development to assist and consult with the
senior official of the Department of State designated
pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) Duties.--The senior official of the Department of State
designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be responsible
for--
(A) on an annual basis, the identification of specific
strategic priorities for using funds appropriated pursuant to
the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a),
such as geographic areas of focus or functional categories of
programming that funds are to be concentrated within,
consistent with the national interests of the United States
and the purposes of this section;
(B) the coordination and approval of all programming
conducted using such funds, based on an assessment that such
programming directly counters the malign influence of the
Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the People's
Republic of China, including specific activities or policies
advanced by the Chinese Communist Party or the Government of
the People's Republic of China and entities acting on their
behalf globally, pursuant to the strategic objectives of the
United States, as established in the 2017 National Security
Strategy, the 2018 National Defense Strategy, and other
relevant national and regional strategies as appropriate;
(C) ensuring that all programming approved bears a
sufficiently direct nexus to such activities of the Chinese
Communist Party or the Government of the People's Republic of
China described in subsection (d) and adheres to the
requirements outlined in subsection (e); and
(D) conducting oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of the
effectiveness of all programming conducted using such funds
to ensure that it advances United States interests and
degrades the ability of the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China, to advance
activities that align with subsection (d) of this section.
(4) Interagency coordination.--The senior official of the
Department of State designated pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall, in coordinating and approving programming pursuant to
paragraph (2), seek--
(A) to conduct appropriate interagency consultation; and
(B) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that all
approved programming functions in concert with other Federal
activities to counter the malign influence of the Chinese
Communist Party or the Government of the People's Republic of
China.
(d) Malign Influence.--In this section, the term ``malign
influence'', with respect to the Chinese Communist Party or
the Government of the People's Republic of China, shall be
construed to include acts conducted by the Chinese Communist
Party or the Government of the People's Republic of China, or
entities acting on their behalf that--
(1) undermine a free and open international order;
(2) advance an alternative, repressive international order
that bolsters the Chinese Communist Party's or the Government
of the People's Republic of China's hegemonic ambitions and
is characterized by coercion and dependency;
(3) undermine the national security or sovereignty of the
United States or other countries; or
(4) undermine the economic security of the United States or
other countries, including by promoting corruption and
advancing coercive economic practices.
(e) Countering Malign Influence.--In this section,
countering malign influence through the use of funds
appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
under subsection (a) shall include efforts--
(1) to promote transparency and accountability, and reduce
corruption, including in governance structures targeted by
the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China;
[[Page H5067]]
(2) to support civil society and independent media to raise
awareness of and increase transparency regarding the negative
impact of activities related to the Belt and Road Initiative,
associated initiatives, other economic initiatives with
strategic or political purposes, and coercive economic
practices;
(3) to counter transnational criminal networks that
benefit, or benefit from, the malign influence of the Chinese
Communist Party or the Government of the People's Republic of
China;
(4) to encourage economic development structures that help
protect against predatory lending schemes, including support
for market-based alternatives in key economic sectors, such
as digital economy, energy, and infrastructure;
(5) to counter activities that provide undue influence to
the security forces of the People's Republic of China;
(6) to expose misinformation and disinformation of the
Chinese Communist Party's or the Government of the People's
Republic of China's propaganda, including through programs
carried out by the Global Engagement Center; and
(7) to counter efforts by the Chinese Communist Party or
the Government of the People's Republic of China to
legitimize or promote authoritarian ideology and governance
models.
(f) Annual Summary.--Not later than September 30, 2023, and
annually thereafter for 5 years, the senior official of the
Department of State designated pursuant to subsection (c)(1)
shall submit to the congressional committees specified in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b), a summary
identifying each activity or program approved pursuant to
subsection (c), and shall include--
(1) for each program or activity, an identification of the
country or regional location of the program or activity;
(2) for each program or activity, whether the program or
activity was ongoing prior to receiving support from funds
from the Countering People's Republic of China Malign
Influence Fund, or any predecessor resource intended for the
same or substantially similar purpose;
(3) for each program or activity, an identification of the
acts described in subsection (d) that such program or
activity is intended to counter; and
(4) a table identifying the respective allocation of all
programs or activities approved during that fiscal year
across accounts and regional or functional bureaus.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Barr) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 1157,
Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act.
The Chinese Communist Party is the most dangerous threat America has
faced in decades, and Beijing has been spreading its malign influence
across the world.
China knows that one of the United States' greatest assets is our
credibility and effectiveness in supporting our allies and partners.
Thus, the CCP is actively working to undermine U.S. legitimacy across
the world by undercutting and distorting markets in areas such as
critical infrastructure.
Among other things, their disruptive tools include predatory lending,
coercive economic practices, misinformation, taking advantage of
foreign corruption, and legitimizing authoritarianism.
The Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund was originally created
by an appropriation intended to address China's pernicious and growing
influence, but for too long it has been used as a slush fund for the
State Department's vanity projects, for example: $6 million for
expanding Pacific Island weather and ocean data collection, $5 million
for English language training in Angola, $2.5 million for scooter
charging stations in Vietnam.
While some may argue that funding for these types of activities can
counter the PRC by meeting the wish lists of our partners experiencing
PRC pressure, there are other organizations like the Development
Finance Corporation and USAID that are already able to meet these types
of needs with their own appropriated and authorized funding.
The bill before us today will create specific statutory guardrails so
that our taxpayer dollars are used strategically and effectively to
counter the CCP's malign influence.
It specifies the aims and duties of the fund, requires consultation
with Congress before funds are obligated, and mandates an annual report
on the fund's activities. This is basic congressional stewardship of
taxpayer dollars.
The bill received bipartisan support when it was marked up by the
Foreign Affairs Committee last year.
While we will never be able to nor want to outspend the PRC dollar
for dollar, we must ensure that every ounce of funding is going the
farthest to counter this generational threat.
I urge my colleagues to support my bill, the Countering the PRC
Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1157, and I yield
myself such time as I may consume.
There is strong bipartisan support in Congress for the Countering the
People's Republic of China's Malign Influence Fund because it is the
primary pool of funding for USAID and State Department projects to
compete with China on the global stage.
Given this bipartisan consensus on the importance of the fund, I had
hoped we could engage in a bipartisan process for this bill. Instead,
most of our recommended changes to the bill were not accepted when this
bill was rushed to a markup at the very start of this Congress. When
offered an amendment to increase the fund's authorization from $325
million to $400 million per year--the same amount requested by the
Biden-Harris administration--every Republican on our committee,
unfortunately, voted against it.
Is that being tough on China? I don't think so.
In briefing after briefing, our committee has learned that the
administration is laser-focused on addressing the China challenge and
is utilizing the funds effectively to counter PRC disinformation, build
resilience against the PRC's malign influence, and provide nations
around the world with alternatives to China's extractive development
framework. The administration is doing this work, and they are doing it
very well.
{time} 1730
As drafted, I believe H.R. 1157 could constrain the State Department
and USAID in competing effectively. To compete with China, the fund and
our institutions need to be nimble so they can adapt to Beijing's
constantly evolving tactics and policies. While I support this bill, as
it moves forward, there needs to be a real bipartisan consultation with
the administration on how best to achieve our objectives and ensure the
fund is effective for the long term.
If we are serious about the threat that China poses and if we are
truly committed to winning this competition, then we need to put our
money where our mouth is. We can hold all the China weeks we want, but
if House Republicans keep cutting funding for the State Department and
USAID, then we are not going to win the competition with China.
Mr. Speaker, we are in a global competition for influence with China,
and if you want to win it, then you cannot do it on a middle power
budget. China is putting its money up. We want to compete; we don't
want to just talk about it. We need to put ours up so that we cannot
just compete; we can win.
The stakes in our strategic competition with China are high. To come
out ahead, we cannot spend our time playing whack-a-mole, reacting to
every move China makes around the world. We have to proactively
compete. That means sticking to our values because they are better than
the values of the Chinese Communist Party. It means listening to our
partners, our friends, our allies, and their needs, not forcing them to
choose.
It means building resilience to China's malign influence by
strengthening governance and the rule of law; and crucially, it means
providing real, sustainable alternatives to China's financing and
China's infrastructure and development assistance.
To achieve these goals and to do it effectively, we need more than
just
[[Page H5068]]
rhetoric. We need creative thinking, a willingness to experiment, and a
commitment to sustain American engagement and diplomacy. All that
requires a clear strategy, a nimble State Department, and a USAID
apparatus, and, again, dare I say it, money, not just for this fund but
for our broader foreign operations and assistance also.
As we move forward with authorizing the Countering the PRC Malign
Influence Fund Authorization Act, we need to remember that this is a
long game. This is a long game. The game is not in the fourth quarter.
If America wants to win it, then we must sufficiently invest. We must
invest in our strengths as well as our tools of competition.
We are the greatest nation in the world with the greatest resources
in the world. Let's do something so that we can continue being the
leaders of the world.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member
Meeks for working with me to move this important legislation to the
floor.
I share many of the comments that my friend, the ranking member from
New York, just stated. We do need to invest. We need to invest in the
tools of diplomacy that we have to counter PRC malign influence in the
world. We need to support the China transformational exports program
with the Export-Import Bank. We need to support the Development Finance
Corporation. We need to support USAID where it can help and the Peace
Corps where it can help with soft power. We need diplomacy. We need
foreign deployed foreign service personnel. However, we have to
remember that we cannot counter and we should not attempt to counter
Communist China by becoming more like China.
We have a $35 trillion national debt, Mr. Speaker. Spending money
like drunken sailors without any accountability and without any
effective strategy is not effective diplomacy in countering the malign
influence from China.
While I certainly do support the PRC malign influence fund, for
goodness' sake, we are the Congress. We control the purse strings.
Let's do our job. Let's create an authorization, put some guardrails
around it and not allow the administration to spend this country into
bankruptcy. That is the fastest way to lose the competition to China.
Let's put some parameters around this PRC malign influence fund and
direct those scarce taxpayer resources effectively so that they
actually do the job that the taxpayers deserve and we actually win this
fight.
Spending our country into oblivion is what Communists do. We don't do
that. Our ace in the hole is that we are capitalists. We do not
misallocate resources. That is why we need this bill.
All of us agree that American taxpayer dollars should be used more
effectively to counter China's disruptive, predatory influence around
the world, but let's do it smart, Mr. Speaker. Let's do it the smart
way.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 1157, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ezell). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1157.
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. BARR. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________