FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Committee Legislation to Combat the CCP’s Malign Influence, Supply Chain Dominance Sent to the Senate
WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two critical pieces of legislation to counter the malign influence and supply chain dominance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the homeland, the “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act,” H.R. 1166, and the “SHIELD Against the CCP Act,” H.R. 708.
H.R. 1166 was introduced by Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. Cosponsors of the bill include House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI).
H.R. 708 was introduced by Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. The bill is cosponsored by Chairman Green, Chairman Moolenaar, Subcommittee Chairman Pfluger, Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY). Both pieces of legislation were also passed by the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress.
On House passage, Chairman Green said, “The ever-growing malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. soil must be treated like the urgent threat it is. The United States must prioritize countering Beijing’s efforts to undermine our sovereignty and economy, as well as spread its malign influence in our communities. By preventing the Department of Homeland Security from relying on batteries made by companies in the pocket of our nation’s foremost adversary, Chairman Gimenez’s bill addresses the threat posed by the CCP to our supply chains. Chairman Strong’s ‘SHIELD Against the CCP Act’ ensures DHS is prepared to meet the moment in the face of China’s persistent abuse of our immigration system, intellectual property, institutions of higher education, and more. I urge the Senate to swiftly send these commonsense pieces of legislation to the president’s desk to secure our homeland from every threat posed by the CCP.”
On the passage of H.R. 1166, Subcommittee Chairman Gimenez said, “The United States must decouple from Communist China in all facets of our lives. The ‘Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act’ prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from procuring batteries from companies with ties to the Peoples Republic of China. With the passage of this bill, we reaffirm and continue to decouple ourselves from Communist China but also call on our own domestic industries to produce critically important materials. We must proactively stay ahead and address these threats that undermine the U.S. supply chain and leave our national security at risk. We were already late to recognize the PRC’s battery threat, and we cannot afford to do it again. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this bill so we can get it to the president’s desk as soon as possible.”
On the passage of H.R. 708, Subcommittee Chairman Strong said, “I am proud to see the House pass my bill, the ‘SHIELD Against the CCP Act,’ as we begin very important work to combat the Chinese Communist Party this Congress. We can no longer stand idly by while one of our greatest adversaries exploits and undermines our national sovereignty; it is past time a dedicated team at DHS is established to assess these threats. With President Trump back in the White House, I urge the Senate to take up and pass this bipartisan bill so it can be signed into law without delay.”
Background:
The “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act” would prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from procuring batteries from six Chinese companies that are closely linked to the CCP, including: Contemporary Amperex Technology Company, Ltd. (CATL); BYD Company, Ltd; Envision Energy, Ltd; EVE Energy Company, Ltd; Hithium Energy Storage Technology company, Ltd; and Gotion High-Tech Company, Ltd. This commonsense legislation resembles a provision signed into law in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which prevented the Department of Defense from procuring batteries from these Chinese companies. China produces approximately 80 percent of the world’s batteries and around 70 percent of the world’s lithium-ion batteries.
The “SHIELD Against the CCP Act” requires DHS to establish a working group that would examine, assess, and report on efforts by the department to counter threats posed by the CCP. These threats include the CCP’s use of nontraditional tactics and exploitation of the U.S. immigration system through identity theft, the immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processes, unlawful border crossings, predatory economic and trade practices, and malign influence operations. The bill also requires the working group to provide a report and briefing to Congress that assesses these threats annually for five years.
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