(Washington, DC) Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas led a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer urging them to prioritize passing legislation on American competitiveness through regular order. Lucas was joined by the ranking members of every Congressional committee, underscoring the importance of this issue.
The members stressed the need to take bipartisan, bicameral action to address the growing threats from China’s communist leaders to U.S. technological competitiveness, economic growth, and national security. “Addressing the generational threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue – it is an American issue,” the members wrote. “As Congress considers actions regarding strategic competition with China, we write to urge you to move any such legislation through the House of Representatives under a process of regular order, and that we do not waste this opportunity to develop strong and thoughtful policy by shoehorning it through using reconciliation.”
The ranking members of the Committees on Science, Energy & Commerce, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services discussed legislative priorities in their respective Committees and emphasized the need to move legislation through regular order.
“We can no longer take American leadership in science and technology for granted,” Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) said. “Advances in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology, and space exploration are quickly creating the industries and jobs of the future. The Science Committee has been hard at work developing thoughtful, comprehensive, and bipartisan legislation to grow our research enterprise to meet these challenges. That’s the strategic approach we need to strengthen American innovation. We’re not going to be successful if we pursue haphazard proposals full of special interest provisions, or if we force legislation through reconciliation or other budget gimmicks, ignoring thoughtful policy development. This issue is too important to be subject to partisan games, and I urge our Democratic leadership to give American competitiveness the careful consideration and action it deserves.”
“America’s global leadership in cutting-edge technologies and innovation is being directly challenged by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). “This challenge affects all Americans and must be met with bipartisan solutions—like the American COMPETE Act—in order to create the conditions necessary for a thriving, innovative, entrepreneurial economy that attracts investment here at home and secures our supply chains. Policies that foster regulatory certainty, low barriers to entry, and tax structures that retain and attract business are key to American exceptionalism, and will ensure that we win the future and beat China.”
“Countering the malign and genocidal activities of the Chinese Communist Party is the generational threat and moral test of our time,” said Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX). “To produce the most meaningful and impactful bill, the relevant House committees need to markup legislation under their jurisdiction relating to the China Challenge through regular order. The China Task Force Report provides over 400 recommendations from over 10 committees to counter the CCP. I hope the Speaker ensures this comprehensive and largely bipartisan report is fully utilized.”
“The Chinese Communist Party poses a generational threat to our nation,” said Financial Services Committee Republican Leader Patrick McHenry (R-NC). “We shouldn’t take a piecemeal approach to countering their aggression. Financial Services Republicans have worked to restrict American taxpayer-backed financing of the CCP and to combat their masterplan to dominate the global economy. Just this week, the House passed more bipartisan legislation to counter China’s influence. We should come together, in an open and transparent way, to build on this work.”
THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER IS AVAILABLE HERE.
The full list of signatories follows:
- Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03)
- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05)
- Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10)
- Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
- Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15)
- Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12)
- Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03)
- Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08)
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
- Rep. John Katko (NY-24)
- Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)
- Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
- Rep. James Comer (KY-01)
- Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03)
- Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06)
- Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12)
- Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-08)
- Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02)
- Rep. Devin Nunes (CA-22)
- Rep. Garret Graves (LA-06)
- Rep. William Timmons (SC-04)