House overwhelmingly passes Rep. Strong legislation to ‘shield’ against Chinese threat

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dale Strong’s legislation aimed at combatting the threat of an expanding Chinese influence inside the U.S. overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Strategic Homeland Intelligence and Enforcement Legislation to Defend (SHIELD) Against CCP Act was approved by a vote of 409-4.

“China is one of the biggest threats to our country,” said Strong (R-Monrovia). “This bill will ensure DHS has a dedicated team working to combat this threat head-on. I’m excited to get this bill through to better protect the American people.”

The legislation would establish a dedicated Department of Homeland Security working group to counter such threats and, specifically, would require the group to examine, assess, and report on the spectrum of nontraditional tactics employed by the government of China and the efforts of DHS to counter these malign activities.

Background

• During a March 9, 2023, House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, national security experts testified on the CCP’s efforts to circumvent U.S. homeland security.
  Specifically, witnesses highlighted the CCP’s exploitation of American universities, its theft of intellectual property and technology, risks to economic supply chain security, the threat it poses to critical infrastructure, and its alarming surveillance activities across the U.S. homeland.
  It is estimated that the People’s Republic of China’s theft of U.S. intellectual property extends to the billions, amounting to approximately $4,000 to $6,000 per American family of four after paying taxes.
• Top government agencies contextualize the counterintelligence and economic espionage activities of the government of China as a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States.”