Washington, D.C.– Over the last few weeks, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) and China Task Force (CTF) Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) have been among the top targets of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) state-run media, the National Review reports.
On October 3, the CCP’s English-language publication China News Service ran a story criticizing Congressman Barr’s tweets praising CTF days after the release of the final CTF report. After Congressman Barr and CTF members introduced the China Task Force Act, the Global Times, another CCP state-run outlet labeled Congressman Barr and CTF members as “GOP lawmakers use China Task Force to boost political careers.”
“The CCP’s state-run media will not intimidate me from speaking the truth about the threat the CCP poses to the United States and the free world,” said Congressman Barr. “The CCP state-run media wants to make standing up for America a partisan issue, it is not a partisan issue. Two-thirds of the CTF proposals are bipartisan. I am proud of my service on CTF to hold the CCP accountable for COVID-19, their human rights abuses, the theft of U.S. intellectual property and other egregious actions. The CCP can’t and won’t silence me.”
“I think CCP leaders are worried that policies recommended in the China Task Force report could be enacted and drastically curtail their malign global agenda for the first time in 40 years,” said Chairman McCaul. “So nearly two decades after prosecuting Johnny Chung for attempting to tilt U.S. elections toward Democrats on behalf of the Chinese government, I am now the target of the CCP’s latest efforts.”
Congressman Barr was appointed to the CTF in May by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Congressman Barr Co-Chaired the Task Force Subgroup on Competitiveness as well as the Subgroup on Economics and Energy. The CTF unveiled their final report on September 30.
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