[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5767-H5772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SANCTIONING TYRANNICAL AND OPPRESSIVE PEOPLE WITHIN THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY ACT
General Leave
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 3334.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nunn of Iowa). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Guam?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1486 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 3334.
The Chair appoints the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
{time} 1232
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 3334) to provide for the imposition of sanctions on members of
the National Communist Party Congress of the People's Republic of
China, and for other purposes, with Ms. Foxx in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1
hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan) and the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Meeks) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.
Mr. MOYLAN. Madam Chairwoman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Chairwoman, I rise in support of H.R. 3334, the STOP CCP Act,
which was introduced by my colleague from Michigan, Congresswoman
McClain, and ordered favorably reported by the Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
The Chinese Communist Party is responsible for some of the world's
worst human rights violations and threats to international security.
In Xinjiang, CCP-led genocide seeks to erase the history and culture
of Uyghur Muslims, who live in constant fear.
While Hong Kong was once known for its vibrant civil society and the
rule of law, today it is under the iron fist of Beijing and many brave
democracy advocates sit in jail.
Our close friends in Taiwan live under constant military pressure,
with incursions into their air defense identification zone. An
oppressive PRC Coast Guard keeps pushing closer and closer to Taiwan's
shores.
The Tibetan people have and continue to suffer from decades of brutal
repression designed to undermine their identity and culture. I am glad
that we have the opportunity today to support an amendment to shine a
spotlight on the abuse they endure.
All of these egregious abuses and urgent threats are being directed
and implemented by leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. The party's
Central Committee, which this bill targets, is like the board of
directors of the CCP. As key party decisionmakers, the Central
Committee directs CCP abuse and aggression, which threatens our friends
and partners in the Indo-Pacific. Therefore, it is critical to use
targeted sanctions to hold these top party leaders accountable.
Sadly, the weakness of the Biden-Harris administration's foreign
policy has invited aggression around the world--in Ukraine and in the
Middle East. We hope it will not invite aggression toward Taiwan.
In the face of chaos, I am sorry that the Biden-Harris administration
and some of my friends on the other side of the aisle feel that we
cannot afford to put action to our words with these modest sanctions.
The administration opposes this bill, claiming that it needs to
maintain flexibility to avoid ``veering into conflict.'' Sadly, I fear
that our adversaries have grown to depend on the Biden-Harris
administration's flexibility. Just last night, the PRC launched an ICBM
near my district of Guam, which landed just below Hawaii. Clearly, we
need to draw our line in the sand now.
This bill is not an act of war. It includes exceptions for U.N.,
intelligence, law enforcement, and national security purposes. It even
gives the President the ability to waive sanctions if the President
deems it necessary.
We are only ensuring that the CCP officials most responsible for the
party's crimes, crimes that include genocide, do not routinely get to
enjoy the benefits of the U.S. financial system or travel to our great
country.
We must stand up for our founding values and security interests. The
defense of liberty and human rights is not escalation. Our partners and
allies feel safest when America leads rather than hesitating while our
adversaries are on the march.
This bill is a strong display of U.S. foreign policy and the values
that guide it. I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation.
We all recognize the challenges posed by the People's Republic of
China. The Biden-Harris administration and this body are clear-eyed
that the PRC is our foremost geopolitical challenge, but how we manage
this relationship will have consequences not just for us but for the
entire world. This requires sober policies and shrewd diplomacy, not
fear or partisan grandstanding.
It is for that reason I oppose H.R. 3334. If signed into law, this
bill would sabotage high-level diplomacy with Beijing. Why else would
we sanction all of the PRC's top leaders, including the President, the
Premier, the senior ministers in one fell swoop, an action that would
immediately rupture the U.S.-China relationship? Such a unilateral
action would undermine the United States' interests, divide us from our
partners and allies, and endanger our national security by making a
conflict more likely in the Indo-Pacific.
Over the last few years, the Biden-Harris administration has competed
vigorously with China. They have sanctioned Chinese officials and
companies for human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. They have
provided Taiwan with the weapons that it needs to enhance its self-
defense. They have imposed unprecedented export controls against China
to ensure our technology isn't bolstering China's military or its human
rights abuses. They have done so while revitalizing our alliances and
partnerships in the region and stabilizing relations with Beijing so
that our competition does not slide into conflict. All of this is
endangered by this bill before us.
The State Department has warned that this bill will bluntly curtail
the United States' ability to engage with Beijing at senior levels of
our civilian and military leadership to advance our national interests.
For example, earlier this month, the head of U.S. forces in the Indo-
Pacific spoke to his Chinese counterpart for the first time in years.
During the call, Admiral Paparo underscored the importance of sustained
lines of communication between the United States military and the PLA,
noting that ``such discussions between senior leaders serve to clarify
intent and reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation.''
If we want to keep the American people safe and lower the chance of
an accidental crisis in the Taiwan Strait or
[[Page H5768]]
the South China Sea, we have to talk to China. We already know that
sanctioning its leaders is counterproductive. Beijing's last defense
minister refused to meet with Secretary Lloyd Austin because of U.S.
sanctions.
Engagement is necessary. Through senior-level, including engagements
between President Biden and President Xi, the Biden-Harris
administration has restored open channels of communication with
Beijing.
Remember, even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, we were talking with
Russia at the time. There was always dialogue and conversation. That
probably prevented a nuclear war back then. That is something that we
should take knowledge of. Conversation, diplomacy, preventing an
accidental war, that is why this bill is not the right bill.
I thank the Biden-Harris administration. For the first time in years,
Beijing has agreed to take action to crack down on fentanyl precursor
chemicals and pill-presses that are killing 100,000 Americans a year.
We still have to deal with issues that most people believe in, that
there is a climate crisis. We cannot solve problems like that unless we
are talking with each other and Beijing takes action.
Just this month, the Biden-Harris administration's diplomatic efforts
led to the release of an American citizen, David Lin, who was
unlawfully detained in China for over 18 years. Let me assure you, if
this bill becomes law, it will be next to impossible to secure the
return of the two remaining wrongfully detained Americans in China.
{time} 1245
Sanctioning the top 200-plus CCP officials all at once would limit
the United States' future leverage if China engages in more problematic
policies and behaviors.
The legislation does not include basic exceptions that are standard
in all bipartisan sanctions legislation. While the waiver in this
legislation sunsets after just 2 years, the authority to impose
sanctions does not. This is poor policymaking, plain and simple.
I oppose this dangerous and counterproductive bill, which will do
nothing to help the Uyghurs, the Hong Kongers, and the people of
Taiwan, while making it incredibly difficult to engage China to advance
any U.S. interests, whether it is fentanyl, regional security, Taiwan,
human rights, or IT theft.
Madam Chair, I must oppose this measure and urge all of my
colleagues, all Members, to do the same.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Madam Chairwoman, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain), the author of this bill.
Mrs. McCLAIN. Madam Chair, I am just confused. There is nothing in
the bill that says we can't talk to them, right? There is nothing in
the bill that says we can't talk to them. There is nothing in the bill
that says we can't have diplomacy. What the bill says is: We don't need
to fund our destroyers.
I am all for talking. How is that working for us? We talk to them ad
nauseam, and what do they do? They continue to push the envelope and
push the envelope, so I am sharing that maybe what we should do, since
our talking doesn't work, is provide some sanctions.
I want to remind us, let's stick with the facts of the bill. It talks
about sanctions. You can talk to them. There is nothing in the bill,
unless I am missing something--and I would like you to show me in the
bill where it says that we are not allowed to talk with them. Stop with
the fear-mongering. Let's stick with the basics.
Madam Chair, I rise today to stress the need for the STOP CCP Act.
The Chinese Communist Party has grown to be our greatest geopolitical
threat. Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and the Central Committee of the
CCP are working to turn the People's Republic of China into the
dominant world superpower. Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration
stands by and continues to cozy up with Xi Jinping.
The CCP has shown us they will do anything to achieve global
supremacy. Xi and his Central Committee have crushed Hong Kong's
democracy. They have threatened to push the world into war over the
free and democratic island nation of Taiwan. Xi has authorized the
enslavement and genocide of the Uyghurs within his own country.
Recently, the CCP has used their Navy to ram other vessels in the South
China Sea to intimidate neighboring nations.
How is the talking going? Today, the talking and the strategy of
diplomacy have gone so well that the CCP launched an ICBM into the
Pacific Ocean. Maybe we should just call them and say, ``Don't do that
anymore'' because they respond so well to that.
For far too long, these atrocities and aggression have gone unchecked
and without consequences. Well, I say not anymore. Congress and the
United States must send a message that the deliberate disregard for
human rights, international norms, and blatant bullying will no longer
be tolerated.
I wish words would work, but they don't. They haven't.
Let me remind everyone who may be skeptical about the Chinese
Communist Party's intentions: Nothing happens in China without the
approval of Xi Jinping and the Central Committee of the CCP.
While I wholeheartedly support the numerous pieces of legislation
that have passed this Chamber aimed at countering the CCP's nefarious
acts, none of them have targeted the core problem, the actual
individuals who are giving the orders.
It is time to begin to deal with the root of the problem. The STOP
CCP Act places significant sanctions on Xi Jinping and members of his
Central Committee in response to their decades of aggression, human
rights abuses, and outright threats to democracies around the world.
Xi's goal is to cover the world in communism. We are the ones who
stand in his way, which is why, instead of opposing my bill, the White
House should get tough with the CCP. Let's try a different strategy,
one that may actually work.
Every time China crosses a line, Biden sends officials to Beijing.
That is embarrassing. We do not need to coddle an aggressor. You need
to deal with them from a position of strength, not weakness. It is time
we draw a line in the sand, say enough is enough, and stop funding our
destroyers.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
thank Congressmen Panetta, Buchanan, and Pappas for joining me in this
effort to hold the true culprits within the CCP accountable for their
heinous acts.
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Chair, if you think that unilateral sanctions on 200 members in
China is going to work, I got a bridge to sell you. Nothing is going to
work--unilateral, none of it. All it will do is drive us against some
of our Indo-Pacific friends, colleagues, and allies.
H.R. 3334 is a deliberate effort to undermine all of what we are
trying to do. It would rupture the U.S.-China relationship. It would
create collateral damage that would impact American workers, families,
and companies. It would make America look like the instigator and
divide us from our partners. It would make a conflict more likely by
undermining the ability to have open lines of communication with the
PRC civilian and military leaders about Taiwan or the South China Sea.
Shutting down communication channels is not what diplomacy is about.
That is not what this committee is about. Shutting down communication
channels, specifically with the PRC, is not a strategy for success.
American officials, diplomats, and military leaders must be able to
engage directly with their PRC counterparts in Washington and elsewhere
to address concerns and reduce tensions.
Ambassador Burns, who was recently here, urges communications even
between Members of Congress and members of the PRC, not to back down
from them but to make sure they understand what we say and what our
positions are.
Dialogue and conversation, that is diplomacy. That is how we get
things done, and that is how we can prevent a misunderstanding or a
miscalculation that could lead to devastation.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Chair, I thank Congresswoman McClain for introducing this bill
and Chairman McCaul for moving it through committee and to the floor.
[[Page H5769]]
We are in a global competition with the Chinese Communist Party. If
we do not stand up to those attacking the freedoms we stand for, then
we undermine the principles that define us. Allowing the CCP's crimes
to go unchallenged disheartens their victims, weakens our global
standing, and emboldens authoritarian regimes around the world.
Imposing basic sanctions on CCP's Central Committee members is a
measured response to the genocide, abuse, and threats they continue to
direct.
Madam Chair, I ask support for this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, printed in the bill, modified by the
amendment printed in part A of House Report 118-705, shall be
considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as an
original bill for purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule,
and shall be considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H.R. 3334
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 ``Sanctioning Tyrannical and
Oppressive People within the Chinese Communist Party Act'' or
the ``STOP CCP Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Hong Kong National Security Law promulgated on July
1, 2020--
(A) contravenes the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region that provides in Article 23 that the
Legislative Council of Hong Kong shall enact legislation
related to national security;
(B) violates the People's Republic of China's commitments
under international law, as defined by the Joint Declaration;
and
(C) causes severe and irreparable damage to the ``one
country, two systems'' principle and further erodes global
confidence in the People's Republic of China's commitment to
international law.
(2) Repression of ethnic Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
has been ongoing, and was formalized with the ``Strike Hard
Campaign against Violent Terrorism'' that began in 2014.
(3) The mass internment of Uyghur and other Muslim ethnic
minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been
ongoing since April 2017.
(4) The People's Republic of China has conducted a targeted
and systemic population-control campaign against ethnic and
religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
by imposing and implementing coercive population-control
practices, including selectively enforcing birth quotas,
targeting minority women who are in noncompliance with birth
quotas, and subjecting women to coercive measures such as
forced birth control, forced sterilization, and forced
abortion.
(5) On October 6, 2020, 39 countries delivered a cross-
regional joint statement to the United States Mission to the
United Nations on the human rights abuses on Uyghurs and
other minorities for forced birth control including
sterilization.
(6) On January 19, 2021, the Department of State determined
that the People's Republic of China committed crimes against
humanity and genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic and
religious minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region, citing forced sterilizations, forced abortions,
coerced marriages, and separation of Uyghur children from
their families.
(7) The Department of State's 2020 Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices affirmed the genocide determination and
noted coercive population control measures inflicted on
ethnic and religious minority women in China, including
forced injections with ``drugs that cause temporary or
permanent end to their menstrual cycles and fertility''.
(8) The United States ratified the United Nations
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide in
1988, recognizing that ``imposing measures intended to
prevent births within the group'' with intent to destroy a
group in whole or part is an act that constitutes genocide.
(9) Taiwan is a free and prosperous democracy of nearly
24,000,000 people and an important contributor to peace and
stability around the world.
(10) Section 2(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law
96-8; 22 U.S.C. 3301(b)) states that it is the policy of the
United States--
(A) ``to preserve and promote extensive, close, and
friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between
the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan, as
well as the people on the China mainland and all other
peoples of the Western Pacific area'';
(B) ``to declare that peace and stability in the area are
in the political, security, and economic interests of the
United States, and are matters of international concern'';
(C) ``to make clear that the United States decision to
establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of
China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan
will be determined by peaceful means'';
(D) ``to consider any effort to determine the future of
Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or
embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western
Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States'';
(E) ``to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive
character''; and
(F) ``to maintain the capacity of the United States to
resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that
would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic
system, of the people on Taiwan''.
(11) Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen as
President of Taiwan in 2016, the Government of the People's
Republic of China has intensified its efforts to pressure
Taiwan through diplomatic isolation and military
provocations.
(12) The rapid modernization of the People's Liberation
Army and recent military maneuvers in and around the Taiwan
Strait illustrate a clear threat to Taiwan's security.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that members of the Chinese
Communist Party, led by General Secretary Xi Jinping, are
responsible for violations of Hong Kong's autonomy, increased
aggression against the people of Taiwan, numerous human
rights violations against the people of Hong Kong and the
people of Taiwan, and acts of repression and genocide against
Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
SEC. 4. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL
COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the
sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to--
(1) each person who is a member of the Central Committee of
the Chinese Communist Party that the President determines
engages in the conduct described in subsection (b);
(2) each person who is a member of any successor
organization of the Central Committee of the Chinese
Communist Party that the President determines engages in the
conduct described in subsection (b), in the event that the
Central Committee is dissolved; and
(3) each person who is an adult family member, including a
spouse or an adult family member of the spouse, of a person
described in paragraph (1) or paragraph (2).
(b) Sanctionable Conduct.--A person engages in the conduct
described by this subsection if the person plays a
significant role in the development or implementation of
government policies or laws that the President determines
appear designed to--
(1) violate the autonomy of Hong Kong;
(2) harass, intimidate, or result in increased aggression
towards the people of Taiwan; or
(3) contribute to political oppression or violation of
human rights of individuals or societal groups within the
People's Republic of China, including Uyghur Muslims.
(c) Sanctions Described.--
(1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection
are the following:
(A) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all
of the powers granted to the President under the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all
transactions in property and interests in property of the
person if such property and interests in property are in the
United States, come within the United States, or are or come
within the possession or control of a United States person.
(B) Aliens ineligible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(i) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien who the
Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or
a designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason
to believe, is described in subsection (a) is--
(I) inadmissible to the United States;
(II) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to
enter the United States; and
(III) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into
the United States or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(ii) Current visas revoked.--
(I) In general.--The issuing consular officer, the
Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or
a designee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in accordance
with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry documentation
issued to an alien described in clause (i) regardless of when
the visa or other entry documentation is issued.
(II) Effect of revocation.--A revocation under subclause
(I) shall take effect immediately and shall automatically
cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in
the alien's possession.
(2) Exceptions.--
(A) United nations headquarters agreement.--The sanctions
described in paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to
an alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the United
States is necessary to permit the United States to comply
with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United
[[Page H5770]]
Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered
into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and
the United States, or other applicable international
obligations.
(B) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, and
national security activities.--Sanctions under paragraph (1)
shall not apply to any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activities of the United
States.
(d) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections
(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person
that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or
causes a violation of regulations promulgated to carry out
this section or the sanctions imposed pursuant to this
section to the same extent that such penalties apply to a
person that commits an unlawful act described in section
206(a) of that Act.
(e) Implementation Authority.--The President may exercise
all authorities provided to the President under sections 203
and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) for purposes of carrying out this
section.
(f) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall, not later
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementation of
this section.
(g) Waiver.--The President may, for one or more periods of
not more than 60 days each, waive the application of
sanctions or restrictions imposed with respect to a foreign
person under this section if the President certifies to the
appropriate congressional committees, not later than 15 days
before such waiver takes effect, that the waiver is vital to
the national security interests of the United States.
(h) Termination.--The President may terminate any sanctions
imposed under subsection (a) not fewer than 15 days after the
date on which the President provides a written certification
to the appropriate congressional committees, and concurrently
publishes on a publicly available website of the Federal
Government, that--
(1) the People's Republic of China and the Chinese
Communist Party have--
(A) ceased the genocide of the Uyghur Muslim population,
including verifiably shutting down all internment camps of
Uyghurs and ending the practice of facilitating or supporting
Uyghur forced labor and forced sterilization;
(B) ceased all forms of threats, military exercises, and
aggression toward Taiwan, including through verifiably, and
for at least a period of one year, having not conducted any
breach of Taiwan's air space, territorial waters, or land
mass, by any military or intelligence personnel associated
with the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist
Party, or any agency or instrumentality thereof;
(C) ceased the undermining of the autonomy of Hong Kong,
including through respecting the terms of the Sino-British
Joint Declaration, and reversing all steps taken to interfere
with the democratic process and governance of Hong Kong; and
(D) ceased efforts to steal the intellectual property of
United States persons; or
(2) the sanctioned person has--
(A) affirmatively renounced membership in the Chinese
Communist Party; and
(B) taken affirmative steps to denounce or remediate the
conduct forming the basis for imposition of the sanction.
(i) Sunset of Waiver and License Authorities.--The
President's authority to issue waivers or licenses with
respect to sanctions required by subsection (a), including
pursuant to sections 203 and 205 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704),
shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(j) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
(1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose
sanctions authorized under this Act shall not include the
authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the
importation of goods.
(2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good''
means any article, natural or manmade substance, material,
supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test
equipment, and excluding technical data.
(k) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
The CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in
order except those printed in part B of House Report 118-705. Each such
further amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the
report, by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as
read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division
of the question.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Nunn of Iowa
The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in
part B of House Report 118-705.
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 8. line 16, strike ``; and'' and insert a semicolon.
Page 8, line 20, strike the period at the end and insert
``; and''.
Page 8, after line 20, insert the following:
(4) each person the President determines is a Chinese
state-owned enterprise--
(A) illegally manufacturing or distributing fentanyl; or
(B) knowingly or intentionally manufacturing or
distributing fentanyl precursor chemicals to be used in the
illegal production or distribution of fentanyl.
Page 14, beginning line 7, redesignate subparagraphs (A)
and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively.
Page 14, after line 6, insert the following:
(A) if the person is described in any of paragraphs (1)
through (3) of subsection (a)--
Page 14, line 11, strike the period at the end and insert
``; or''.
Page 14, after line 11, insert the following
(B) if the person is described in paragraph (4) of
subsection (a), taken affirmative steps to cease the
manufacture and distribution of fentanyl or any precursor
chemical known or intended to be used in the illegal
production or distribution of fentanyl.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1486, the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Nunn) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3334, the
Sanctioning Tyrannical and Oppressive People within the Chinese
Communist Party Act, and the good work by the Committee on Foreign
Affairs. I present my amendment, amendment No. 1.
The illegal production, distribution, and sale of fentanyl has
contributed to a surge of overdoses across the world and severe
addiction right here in the United States, as well. Cheap but deadly
fentanyl is flooding into the United States across our open southern
border, wreaking havoc on communities across our country and locally in
our neighborhoods, killing a record number of Americans, including in
Iowa's Third District, my hometown.
In Iowa alone, over the last 2 years, we have seen a 34 percent
increase in drug death overdoses, with fentanyl implicated in more than
83 percent of those. Among Iowans, those 25 and under, drug overdoses
have increased by 120 percent in the last 24 months alone, a staggering
figure.
Fentanyl, tragically, is the leading cause of death of Americans my
age down to my high school daughter's age. This epidemic kills over 150
young people in America a day, a catastrophic death toll by any
measure.
At the source of the crisis is the Chinese Communist Party. They are
the primary source for fentanyl production worldwide, including what
ends up here in America. The chemical compounds of this deadly drug are
manufactured under Beijing's control and then are sent to cartels and
laboratories within Mexico.
Mules from Mexican cartels move this deadly fentanyl across the wide-
open border on America's southern States and disperse it out to every
community in America, where it kills our friends, neighbors, and
families and guts our very communities.
{time} 1300
The longer that we allow China to go unchecked as the main producer
and funding source for these dangerous drugs, this crisis will continue
to get worse and more deadly.
It is time that we put this heartbreaking madness to an end. That is
why I offer my amendment, which would add any Chinese state-owned
enterprise that knowingly produces chemicals for the manufacturing of
fentanyl to the list of sanctioned entities here in the United States.
We must stop this crisis at the source and keep our fellow Americans
safe.
My heart goes out to every family who has been impacted by this, and
tragically at this point, nearly every American has felt or known
someone who has been impacted by the fentanyl crisis, including the
Kidd family that joined me here in this very Chamber at
[[Page H5771]]
this year's State of the Union who lost their child to Chinese-
manufactured fentanyl.
I urge everyone on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers to take
action on this by supporting this amendment.
I thank my colleagues for their work in standing up to China to
protect our communities and fight for our kids.
Mr. Chair, I do not believe this needs to be a partisan issue. The
fact is simple: Fentanyl is killing Americans in every single
congressional district in every single community across this country.
We know how to stop it, and this is an amendment that can move it
forward.
Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Ogles).
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Iowa for yielding.
Mr. Chair, there were 14,700 pounds of fentanyl seized in fiscal year
2022; 27,000 pounds of fentanyl seized in 2023; and 19,700 pounds of
fentanyl seized so far in fiscal year 2024.
Mr. Chair, 76,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses last year.
Tens of thousands or more of Americans have died from fentanyl
overdoses since this administration took office. Hundreds of thousands
have died from drug overdoses in general.
Chinese state-owned enterprises are seeing an opportunity to profit
off of the deaths of Americans, and this administration is letting it
happen.
Americans are crying out for new leadership. Until they have their
say on November 5, we should be sanctioning the daylights out of every
single one of these Chinese Communist Party's genocidal thugs.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I believe that we can all fight this
scourge at the source, not only to save Americans, to save lives, but
to push back against those who would profit off the death of our
country.
This is a bipartisan issue. This is a good issue for America. Most
importantly, it is the best safeguard we can do to stop fentanyl in its
tracks.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. LaTurner). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Iowa will be
postponed.
Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Amo
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2
printed in part B of House Report 118-705.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee of the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Crockett), and I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 9, line 2, strike ``or''.
Page 9, line 6, strike the period and insert ``; or''.
Page 9, after line 6, insert the following:
(4) willfully and knowingly engage in malicious activities,
including online disinformation campaigns and propaganda, for
the purpose of interfering with United States Federal, State,
or local elections.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1486, the gentleman
from Rhode Island (Mr. Amo) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Rhode Island.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, while the underlying bill is problematic and
harmful to U.S. interests, I have no problem supporting this amendment,
which adds election interference as a sanctionable conduct.
Beijing should not be interfering in our democratic processes.
I think if the sanctions authorities in this bill were constructed
thoughtfully, this would be an important area of concern where
sanctions could be used to hold PRC entities accountable.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Amo).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Ogles
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3
printed in part B of House Report 118-705.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 8, line 8, after ``Chinese Communist Party'' insert
``, including alternate members thereof,''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1486, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist
Party is the highest organ of authority within the 2,000-member
National Party Congress. The 205 full members of the Central Committee
have critically important decisionmaking authorities and voting rights
which include the selection of the general secretary, the politburo,
and the politburo's standing committee.
Thankfully, the underlying legislation leaves the possibility of not
only permitting the U.S. President to sanction these 205 members but
also 171 so-called alternate members of the Central Committee who do
not have voting rights but are nevertheless members of the committee.
This amendment provides both clarification that the legislative's
punitive sanctions may also be used against these alternate members and
also provides congressional support for blocking and prohibiting all
transactions in property against these top Chinese Communist Party
cadres.
It further lends support for making these alternate members
ineligible to receive a visa to enter the United States.
There should be no confusion as to the nature of the threat posed by
the PRC. The Chinese Communist Party seeks to destroy the United
States. It is already actively involved in sending the fentanyl
precursor chemicals necessary to kill our fellow Americans across our
border.
For context, 76,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses alone in
2023.
This fiscal year alone, 35,400 Chinese nationals have taken advantage
of our porous southern border and come into our country. The CCP has
also co-opted every meaningful international institution to the point
where our Nation is now funding organizations like the WHO and the
wider U.N. to promote policies that are undermining our own national
interests.
The CCP engages in gray zone warfare against Taiwan and other Indo-
Pacific allies, risking the start of another global conflict.
Communist China steals hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of
intellectual property from our Nation every single year, and it uses
its diplomatic presence to engage in massive espionage operations.
Our government opens a new China-related counterintelligence case
every 10 hours, and approximately 50 percent of all of our Nation's
counterintelligence cases are related to China.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Rhode Island is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, this amendment makes a bad idea even worse.
Scratch past the surface of the underlying bill, and you will find an
unserious proposal that does nothing to address our problems with
Beijing. It would blindly sanction all the PRC's top leaders while
getting absolutely nothing in return.
This unilateral action would detonate the U.S.-China relationship.
That is right, this bill would slap widespread sanctions on a broad
swath of China's Government without achieving a single change in its
malign behavior. That truly is some art of the deal.
Given the high-stakes nature of our relationship with China, we need
sanctions that are targeted, scoped, and sequenced to be effective.
This amendment doesn't come within a football field of meeting this
standard. It makes a bad idea worse.
[[Page H5772]]
The amendment would sanction an additional 170 or so alternate
members of the CCP Central Committee. It is the policy equivalent of
taking out a chain saw when the job requires a scalpel. Chaotically
applying sweeping sanctions is not thoughtful. It is not smart.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do
the same. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, nothing? It gives the President of the United
States, whether Republican or Democrat, the ability to defend our
country, to create accountability when a bad actor engages in
undermining our national interests.
My colleagues say we need better communication, and when we were
communicating to them that Americans were dying because of precursor
chemicals, they did nothing. When we communicated that we needed them
to stop because our kids were dying, they did nothing. This idea of
communicating and appeasement did not work, and hundreds of thousands
of Americans paid the price.
I will not sit idly by and allow China to bully our country. Now, if
others want to do that, then that is up to them, but this bill is
permissive. It gives the President of the United States another tool,
another opportunity to hold China accountable.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, once again, this shortsighted amendment makes a
bad idea even worse.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I think it is shortsighted to allow Americans
to die on our streets because the Chinese Communist Party is flooding
our country with fentanyl.
I think it is shortsighted that we allow the Chinese Communist Party
to influence our foreign policy.
I think it is shortsighted that we don't stand up for Taiwan and let
them take full control over their own destiny.
It is time that America stands up for its allies: Israel, Taiwan, and
all of those beacons of democracy around the world.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Ogles
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4
printed in part B of House Report 118-705.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 13, after line 13, insert the following:
(B) ceased all forms of oppression of the Tibetan people,
including those significant human rights abuses detailed in
the Tibet section of the Department of State's 2023 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices;
Page 13, line 14, strike ``(B)'' and insert ``(C)''.
Page 13, line 23, strike ``(C)'' and insert ``(D)''.
Page 14, line 4, strike ``(D)'' and insert ``(E)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1486, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, the underlying bill rightfully includes a
robust set of preconditions prior to lifting any sanctions on members
of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
However, when it comes to those who have been sanctioned for their
role in the political oppression of minority groups in the PRC, the bar
of accountability ought to be set even higher. The ones suffering in
Communist China aren't just the people of East Turkestan.
Over the years, the United States has demonstrated its solidarity
with the people of Tibet and with the plight of the Tibetan people.
Seven decades after the CCP began its illegal occupation of the country
of Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party continues its policy of wholesale
persecution of the Tibetan people.
This amendment simply states that the sanctioned members of the PRC's
Central Committee must also cease any and all oppression of the Tibetan
people. The amendment references the State Department's 2023 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices, a report which details the numerous
different ways the PRC authorities are oppressing the Tibetan people.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1315
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, just to be clear, the persecution is rather
stark: enforced disappearance, torture or cruel, inhumane, and
degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prison
conditions; arbitrary arrests or detentions; serious problem with the
independence of the judiciary, particularly regarding political
prisoners; transnational repression against individuals located in
other countries; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy;
punishment of family members for alleged offenses by a relative;
serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom,
including censorship; serious restrictions on internet freedom; and
substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly.
This is the Chinese Government. This is whom some on the other side
of the aisle seek to appease. It is important that we leverage every
tool to stand firm as the dominant superpower in the world and that we
continue to be the light of freedom and hope for our tired world.
It is time we take a stand. It is time that we say no to China. It is
time that we pass my amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Ogles) having assumed the chair, Mr. LaTurner, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3334) to
provide for the imposition of sanctions on members of the National
Communist Party Congress of the People's Republic of China, and for
other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.
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