Washington, D.C.— At a press conference today in the U.S. Capitol, Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives China Task Force (CTF) unveiled their final report. Established in May, the Task Force examined the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic and developed policies to combat the economic, technological, military and political threat the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to the free world.
“This is the culmination of months long work to expose the CCP for what they are: the greatest threat to the United States since the fall of the Soviet Union,” said Congressman Barr. “In this report we don’t just outline the problems, we provide a roadmap for solutions. Sixty-four percent of our proposals are bipartisan, and I look forward to working with Democrats to confront what will be a multi-generational strategic competition between the United States and the CCP.”
“The Chinese Communist Party threat affects every American and transcends political parties. That is why House Republicans established the China Task Force to develop a comprehensive blueprint that would serve as our country’s guide to make us safer and more resilient,” said Leader McCarthy. “When I hand-selected the members back in May, I wanted to build a team that would deliver the most impactful and thorough report ever drafted on China. That is why I selected Andy Barr to be a part of this initiative; his expertise on the Financial Services Committee was a critical piece to confronting a very unique problem set when it comes to China. Barr, and the rest of the task force members, have worked diligently over the past four months to deliver a bold, achievable, and bipartisan report. Ten years from now, I am confident Americans will look back on this report as the bedrock for strengthening our national security.”
Congressman Barr served as Co-Chair of the CTF Subgroup on Competitiveness and on the Subgroup on Economics and Energy. Barr also serves as a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. A full list of Congressman Barr’s CTF proposals is below. You can also read the full CTF report here. You can watch the full CTF press conference here.
- H.R. 8197, Transparency in Chinese Government Investment Act (TCGIA): This proposal would direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Treasury Department to investigate whether certain connections to the CCP by companies listing on U.S. stock exchanges constitute material information and should be disclosed in regular securities filings. These connections include financial support from the CCP, any executive or officer of a company who holds or held positions with the CCP or Chinese government, or any affiliation with strategic Chinese initiatives, such as “Made in China 2025,” endangering American national security. If the SEC find that these connections represent material information to investors, the SEC is directed to issue rules to require disclosure in regular securities filings.
- H.R. 7998, NIST COVID-19 Cyber-Security Act: Which would require the Director of NIST to issue resources and guidance to universities and research institutions to protect research, including COVID-19 research, based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
- H.R. 8163, the Countering China Through American Export and Competitiveness Act: This legislation would prohibit the American Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) from conducting large deals with Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), raise the dedicated amount for Ex-Im’s Program to counter China from 20% to 33%, and give Ex-Im the necessary tools to be more competitive against Chinese export credit agencies.
- H.R. 8198, the National Security Through America’s Resources and Permitting Reform Act of 2020: Supports the domestic production of rare-earth elements, critical minerals, and carbon from coal and coal byproducts which are used in advanced technology, clean energy development and military equipment such as the F-35 fighter aircraft. It is estimated that 80% of rare-earth minerals in the United States come from China.
- Recommends that Congress should examine measures to codify a Higher Education Initiative in the FBI’s Office of Private Sector to protect federally funded research at universities from agents of foreign governments participating in academic espionage. Derived from Congressman Barr’s H.R. 8164, the Higher Education Research Protection Act of 2020.
- Recommends the Administration carry out enforcement actions and sanction PRC banks responsible for North Korea sanctions evasion, including through more rigorous implementation of the bipartisan Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions and Enforcement Act. Congressman Barr authored the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions and Enforcement Act and successfully included the landmark legislation in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).