WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel and member of the House Select Committee on China, passed five amendments in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to crack down on the Chinese Communist Party.
“Every year, nearly a hundred thousand Americans are poisoned and killed by ‘Made in China’ fentanyl, U.S. businesses lose billions to China’s IP theft and its military espionage grows bolder and more invasive,” said Senator Jim Banks. “Meanwhile, the Biden administration offers excuses for the Chinese Communist Party and shrinks away from our allies that stand in its way.”
“Congress must chart the way in defending against our greatest and most formidable adversary —Communist China,” Senator Banks added. “I am proud to lead these five amendments and to support an NDAA that makes America safer by tackling the China threat head-on.”
Background:
Rep. Banks’ PRC (People’s Republic of China) Culpability for Fentanyl amendment requires DOD to determine whether PRC officials assisted or were aware of the transportation of fentanyl precursors to Mexican drug cartels. Read it here.
China Ambassador Nicholas Burns recently stated that China’s government has not contributed to the fentanyl crisis, despite the majority of fentanyl in the US originating from China, and Chinese state-owned firms being involved in fentanyl manufacturing.
Rep. Banks’ Chinese Military Company Nomination Authority amendment requires DOD to require project leads on DOD-funded research to disclose the backgrounds of foreign researchers involved to receive DOD funding. Read it here.
Rep. Banks’ LOGINK Ban amendment bans DOD from contracting with ports that use LOGINK, a CCP-controlled maritime logistics software, requires talks with allies to ban the system and ban U.S. ports from using the program. Read it here.
Rep. Banks’ Disclosures of Researcher Background for DOD Research amendment requires project leads on DOD-funded research to disclose the backgrounds of foreign researchers involved to receive DOD funding. Read it here.
Rep. Banks’ DOD Confucius Institute Waiver Elimination amendment revokes the DOD’s authority to waive its ban on funding institutions of higher education that host Confucius Institutes. Read it here.
Rep. Banks previously sent a letter about the Biden DoD’s weak Confucius Institute guidance.
