[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 146 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E926-E927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 OPPOSITION TO H.R. 8333, H.R. 1516, H.R. 1398, H.R. 1425, H.R. 7980, 
                             AND H.R. 9456

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2024

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to a slate of 
Republican bills offered this week that will do more harm than good in 
defending the United States' interests from the Chinese Communist 
Party.
  Immediately upon their return from the August district work period, 
House Republicans have picked right back up with their prioritization 
of political talking points over responsible legislation. The 
Republican Majority is pushing forward a package of bills that revive 
failed programs, forgo due process, and undermine our academic 
institutions and domestic supply chains. Under the guise of deterring 
the influence of the Chinese Communist Party, the bills on the flow 
this week actually make it harder for us to protect national security 
interests and serve the interests of the American people.
  H.R. 8333, the BIOSECURE Act, lists specific biopharmaceutical 
companies that are subject to federal contracting bans with no clear 
indication of why those companies were chosen. The bill lacks any due 
process to add or remove a company as a ``biotechnology company of 
concern.'' This sets a dangerous precedent going forward for companies 
that find themselves listed in this bill--or any other similar 
legislation.
  H.R. 1516, To establish Department of Homeland Security funding 
restrictions on institutions of higher education that have a 
relationship with Confucius Institutes, and for other purposes, defines 
any connection to a Chinese public school or university as a 
relationship that is a threat to U.S. security. It would bar 
Universities with any of these connections from receiving any funds 
from the Department of Homeland Security, whether that funding is for 
securing college campuses against possible school shootings or 
receiving financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA) after an emergency.
  The Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act 
of 2024, H.R. 1398, is equally responsible. The Republican Majority 
would revive a defunct program at the Department of Justice that failed 
to address any of the actual threats posed by the Chinese Government 
and only succeeded in ruining the careers of academics and scientists 
of Chinese descent. Discriminatory impacts aside, the bill is plainly 
redundant, as the Department of Justice already prosecutes cases of 
economic espionage and trade secret theft.
  H.R. 1425, the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate 
Approval

[[Page E927]]

Act hampers the United States' ability to respond to emerging pandemics 
and undermines the Biden-Harris administration's foreign policy agenda. 
House Republicans have introduced this bill under the pretense that any 
international agreement negotiated by the World Health Organization 
(WHO) is an international treaty, however, this is patently untrue. 
This legislation would only create more barriers, red tape, and 
headaches for our country as we respond to developing health threats 
around the world.
  H.R. 7980, the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America 
Act, would threaten the viability of the EV tax credit for consumers 
created in the Inflation Reduction Act (Pub. L. 117-169). Congress has 
already set requirements for collecting the full $7,500 tax credit that 
strengthen the long-term EV domestic supply chain while also lowering 
our reliance on China. This bill would add additional requirements that 
are frankly unachievable and would virtually eliminate access to the EV 
tax credits that have helped thousands of people afford to purchase new 
EVs, saving Minnesotans money on gas and making the air in our 
communities cleaner.
  Finally, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries 
Act of 2024, H.R. 9456, undermines bipartisan-negotiated provisions 
from the Fiscal Year 2024. Consolidated Appropriations package that are 
helping to investigate national security threats from foreign 
investments into agricultural land, biotechnology, and other aspect of 
the agricultural industry. The Republican bill threatens to overwhelm 
the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and 
undermine its ability to investigate and stop real threats. We should 
not be undermining established law voted for by House Republicans and 
Democrats.
  Mr. Speaker, the interference of the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, 
and other foreign adversaries poses real threats to our economy, our 
national security, and our democratic institutions. We need serious, 
deliberative, nonpartisan solutions to deal with these threats. 
Instead, the Republican Majority has brought bills to the floor this 
week that are ineffective at best and outright harmful at worst. I 
oppose all of these bills and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

                          ____________________