Countering Chinese aggression will be a major issue that Republicans will pursue in 2023. In that light, it should not be surprising that now-Speaker Kevin McCarthy selected Rep. Gallagher as Chairman of the House Select Committee on China at the end of last year. Gallagher’s expertise and his ability to build bipartisan support on national security issues makes him the right man for the job.
For seven years, Gallagher served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, a tenure that included two deployments to Iraq. In Congress, he has served as a Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee, vocally defending America’s national security interests. Most importantly, he has pursued action against China-related threats, including problematic Chinese companies such as DJI, YMTC, and TikTok.
Since being selected as Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, Gallagher has wasted no time to assembling his committee. In an interview with Voice of America, he stated,
“Our first priority right now is just getting the best team together, both in terms of members and not just Republicans, but Republicans and Democrats. I want it to be a group of serious, sober members. I want it to be bipartisan… We want to make sure that we’re enhancing and elevating the discussion on China while also being sensitive to committee jurisdiction for [the] other committees that are already in a lot of space.”
Last Tuesday, House Republicans and 146 Democrats overwhelmingly supported House Resolution 11 (H. Res. 11) to establish Gallagher’s Select Committee. The resolution authorizes the Committee to investigate and submit policy recommendations concerning the status of the economic, technological, and security progress of the Chinese Communist Party and its competition with the United States.
As this 16-member, bipartisan panel begins to pursue its work, Gallagher has stated it will focus on objectives including:
- Restore supply chains and end critical economic dependencies on China
- Strengthen the military
- End the CCP’s theft of American personal data and intellectual property
- Contrast the CCP’s techno-totalitarian state with the values of the Free World
- Shed light on China’s human rights violations
These objectives provide a clear road map where bipartisan support can grow. Maintaining that momentum in 2023 will be another opportunity for Congress to provide oversight in establishing stronger controls against Chinese tech threats.
As Gallagher told China Tech Threat, “The Chinese Communist party presents a grave threat to American sovereignty and our national security. From stealing intellectual property and good-paying American jobs, to the malign influence of TikTok and other CCP-owned technology, the Chinese Communist Party is looking to take its techno-totalitarianism global. The bipartisan Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party will attempt to counter the influence of the CCP in American society at every turn and prevent World War III before it is too late.”
We look forward to seeing Chairman Gallagher and his Committee take action on myriad threats, and especially those emanating from the Chinese semiconductor space.
Updated on January 19 to include a quote from Gallagher to China Tech Threat.