Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I think before I begin, I would just like to ask any of my Republican colleagues whether anybody found the secret three-page memo detailing all the concessions that were made to the most extreme elements of their Republican Conference?
Anyone?
Mr. Speaker, I heard that Speaker McCarthy told Members during a closed conference meeting that there is no official document or three- page addendum to the House rules package detailing these concessions. None of us ever said it was official. If it was official, it would have been in the official rules package.
I also took note of the fact that in Axios today we saw this. It says: ``One thing the document doesn't contain, according to NRCC Chair Richard Hudson, who said he's seen it, is promised committee chairmanships for specific Members: `No names, just representation on panels.' ''
So we were able to find out from Mr. Hudson what is not in that secret memo, but it would be helpful maybe before the end of the day if we could actually get the document so that the American people know what was promised.
Mr. Speaker, China has the second largest economy in the world, and there is no doubt that their government seeks to extend their sphere of influence and export their model of authoritarianism abroad.
The question is: How should the United States respond?
For the past 4 years, I have served as chair and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. We have monitored China's compliance with international human rights and rule of law standards.
Under my leadership, alongside Senators Jeff Merkley, Marco Rubio, and Congressman Chris Smith, the Commission has continued to draw attention to the Chinese Government's human rights violations and technology-enhanced authoritarianism.
We passed my bill, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which seeks to address the genocide in Xinjiang, and we hope can serve as a model for future human rights legislation.
We passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act to support the people of Tibet in their struggle against Chinese repression, and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act to require the U.S. Government to impose sanctions against mainland China and Hong Kong officials considered responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
Now, everything that we accomplished at the CECC has been because that Commission operates in a bipartisan manner with nonpartisan staff. Our comprehensive annual reports are widely respected by government officials, academics, and the advocacy community because they are well- researched and they are fact-based.
That brings us to today.
Mr. Speaker, we are here to consider the creation of a select committee. This select committee on China would investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of China's economic, technological, and security progress, as well as its ongoing competition with the United States.
I will be honest. I have reservations here. Many of us have concerns about this turning into a committee that focuses on pushing Republican conspiracy theories and partisan talking points. We certainly don't want it to turn into a place that perpetuates anti-Asian hate. We cannot and will not tolerate that.
But, instead, I would hope that this new committee would work in a similar fashion as the CECC--producing bipartisan work with a fact- based tone and approach that could be received by the international community seriously and substantively.
There are a few things that I think the select committee needs to keep in mind if they truly want to be effective.
First, President Trump repeatedly mislabeled COVID with racist language. Such rhetoric coincided with spikes in hate-based acts of violence and discrimination against people of Chinese or Asian origin across the country. This language has no place on this committee or anywhere in Congress.
Second, this committee should not seek to focus solely on military solutions. Yes, China's military modernization is a legitimate issue, but that does not demand a military-first policy response.
Third, I am concerned that a committee focused myopically on the economic, technological, and security challenges of China could distract us from the need to build a holistic approach in many of these policy areas. We need to remember that the United States faces economic, technological, and security challenges from many different regions across the globe, not just China. To focus solely on China, whether it be policy related to trade, technology, authoritarianism, or anything else, is neither analytically sound nor effective.
Fourth, and finally, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher) said if he were to chair this committee, he would focus on ``ideological competition and human rights.'' I would just like to say that human rights are not ideological. Human rights are fundamental and universal, protected by a vast body of international law codified at the United Nations and widely adjudicated. They apply to every person in every country and territory on Earth.
It is the Chinese Communist Party, in fact, that portrays human rights along an ideological divide. That falsely portrays Chinese values as something distinct from Western values in an effort to justify its repression of the people of China. It is important that the committee does not adopt the rhetoric of Chinese officials.
While I do have concerns here, after reading the resolution itself, I will be voting yes. The Democratic Party has led the way in implementing efforts to monitor China's compliance with international human rights and rule of law standards, and we will continue to do so here.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for his assurances.
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Chu).
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Mr. Speaker, this select committee has the potential to do some substantive work, and there is a bipartisan group here in this House that for years has been focused on holding China accountable and upholding a high standard of human rights.
I don't want to close without acknowledging the incredible leadership of Speaker Pelosi in all of this. I traveled with Speaker Pelosi to China a few years back, and she insisted that we visit Tibet, a place that was blocked off for congressional visits for many years.
She refused to take no for an answer, and we went to Tibet. Under her leadership, the legislation that I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks was passed, the most consequential legislation to hold China accountable passed in this Congress in history.
The potential that this select committee has really is contingent on making sure that the words that were expressed by Speaker McCarthy and by incoming Chair Gallagher are actually upheld. The concern that you hear on our side really is concern that this devolves into something that is about promoting conspiracy theories and that tolerates racist language.
We say that because we have been through all of this. The use of the words that the former President chose to employ resulted in hate crimes against Asian Americans in this country. It is unconscionable.
If this committee goes in that direction, I assure you that the Democrats on that committee will push back forcefully.
We want this committee to be effective. In theory, this is a committee that we should all get behind, and I hope that it is successful. I hope that it is bipartisan. I hope that it is all that we have been promised here today.
As I said, I am going to vote for this because I think it is the right thing to do, and I have faith that our Members on both sides will do the right thing.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote their conscience. I am going to vote ``yes'' on this, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. =========================== NOTE ===========================
January 10, 2023, on page H129, in the third column, the following appeared: The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it. Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The online version has been corrected to read: The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. ========================= END NOTE =========================
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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