News: Senate Republicans are unveiling their counter-China priorities for 2025, as the GOP looks to win the Senate majority and, in turn, the Foreign Relations Committee gavel.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), who’s slated to become the panel’s chair if Republicans take control, is releasing a legislative roadmap Thursday for cracking down on China’s global influence, first shared with Punchbowl News.
Countering the Chinese Communist Party is one of the few legislative goals that unites both parties. Despite that bipartisanship, Congress has few major achievements to point to beyond the potential Tik Tok ban. Risch said Congress has “failed” to act in several areas and vowed Republicans will go big on China through his STRATEGIC Act.
“This legislation takes strong positions to safeguard U.S. and allied interests and provides actionable provisions that will help us in our strategic competition with China,” Risch told us. “We cannot wait for more reports and studies — it is time to start implementing policies.”
The legislative package, which has the support of a wide swath of the Senate GOP Conference, includes measures like antitrust reform to crack down on China’s predatory economic behavior as well as a boost in overall U.S. support for Taiwan.
It also makes changes to the Foreign Agents Registration Act by removing certain exemptions for foreign adversaries. And it takes aim at Beijing’s harassment and abuse of U.S. diplomats in addition to its efforts to use Western think tanks and universities for malign purposes.
On top of that, the bill includes an authorization for new infrastructure investments and provisions aimed at preventing Chinese drones from deploying in the Middle East.
The effort is one of many ways Republicans are laying the groundwork for a potential majority. For example, GOP senators are already plotting strategies for the 2025 tax fight.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has also taken a particular interest in China policy. Schumer, who’s long been a China hawk, tasked his committee chairs earlier this year with developing bipartisan legislation in a number of jurisdictions but said at the time that it’s more of a long-term effort.
— Andrew Desiderio
