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Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul has released the following, initial reaction to Speaker Pelosi ending bipartisan, bicameral negotiations to develop legislation to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s malign actions that would have the ability to pass both chambers of Congress. Instead, House Democrats have introduced a partisan 2,912-page bill, with the section-by-section summary released by the Speaker’s office being over 100 pages long. Contrary to the false statements put out by the White House and congressional Democrats, this is absolutely NOT a bipartisan bill and will likely garner no Republican support. It was hastily thrown together behind closed doors in a process with no Republican input and is being jammed through the House. 

“We have been in talks with House and Senate committees of jurisdiction for weeks, trying to put together a bipartisan bill that could pass Congress. Rather than allowing those talks to play out, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have decided to torpedo the chance of a bipartisan, bicameral bill to confront the generational threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

“We are still reviewing this legislation. But let me be clear: the Pelosi bill’s inclusion of the EAGLE Act proves Democrat leaders are not serious about confronting the CCP. The EAGLE Act authorizes more taxpayer money to pour into an unaccountable UN climate slush fund than it does to counter the CCP. It reflects virtually no Republican input, and – to be frank – will be dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate.

“I would strongly urge Speaker Pelosi and other House Democrats to scrap their weak, partisan bill and work with Republicans on comprehensive legislation that will actually counter CCP aggression – including using meaningful export control policies – and that has the ability to pass both Houses of Congress. The CCP is the most significant generational and national security threat the United States faces. The American people deserve better than a superficial, partisan response.”

Members of Congress have been told they must submit any amendments on the almost 3,000-page legislation by this Friday, January 28, 2022 – giving them only three days to read, comprehend, and research the legislation and then draft any amendments they would like to offer. 

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