The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“China (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S7207-S7208 on Dec. 15.
The Department includes the Census Bureau, which is used to determine many factors about American life. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department is involved in misguided foreign trade policies and is home to many unneeded programs.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
China
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this morning, the Biden administration announced they are taking action to counter the Chinese Communist Party's threat to our national security. Just a few moments ago, the Department of Commerce said they would formally add Wuhan-based YMTC and 35 other Chinese companies to the so-called Entity List, blocking them from purchasing critical technology from American businesses.
I am glad this decision has finally arrived because I have long sounded the alarm on the economic and national security threats posed by YMTC and other CCP-backed technology companies, like CXMT and SMIC. YMTC poses an immediate threat to our national security so the Biden administration needed to act swiftly to prevent YMTC from gaining even an inch of military or economic advantage. I am glad that they are heeding our calls as well as calls from other Members on both sides of the aisle.
Of course, YMTC is a well-known chip supplier for Huawei, one of the biggest companies that pose a risk to U.S. security interests. Any supplier of Huawei is no friend of the United States because the risks are too great and the entanglements of these companies with CCP and Chinese military are too treacherous. This is a necessary and prudent step by the administration.
The administration's announcement also comes on the heels of my amendment with Senator Cornyn to the National Defense Act that would remove YMTC as well as SMIC and CXMT from our Federal supply chains entirely. It is a one-two punch: The administration blacklists these companies from doing business, and here in Congress we will shut them out even further from U.S. supply chains. Of course, this is about more than just a single group of businesses stretching their tentacles into our country. It is about holding firm against a CCP that has become more emboldened and oppressive over the recent years.
The 21st century will be largely shaped by our two giant economies. For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has cheated their way to the top by piggybacking off American technologies and American IP, with huge implications for our security and for our edge in AI, cyber security, telecom, and other major technologies. Whoever masters the technologies of tomorrow will be able to reshape the world in their image this century. And if the CCP gets there first, it will spell dark times for democracy, for freedom, and for American prosperity and American jobs.
Today's decision by the administration will provide one more firewall we all need to keep the CCP's authoritarian designs in check. I applaud the administration for taking this important step.
