Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), outlined some bipartisan legislative priorities in a recent Fox News interview which include working to prevent CCP aggression in Taiwan, closing the De Minimis Loophole, and halting inadvertent funding of the Chinese military.
"We have an opportunity to act on the military competition line of effort," Gallagher said. "We'll be considering the conference version of the National Defense Authorization Act. We have critical votes coming up on defense appropriation."
Gallagher emphasized the importance of thwarting the efforts of Xi Jinping, the President of the People's Republic of China, to seize control of Taiwan. CCP aggression has surged in the Indo-Pacific, utilizing strategies of "military and economic coercion" to intimidate neighboring nations, provoke maritime tensions, and create instability in regions surrounding the PRC. Xi has placed growing emphasis on China’s assertion of Taiwan, an independent democracy. His approach toward Taiwan mirrors the use of similar tactics, all aimed at ultimately securing its submission, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Gallagher also aims to close the 'De Minimis Loophole,' a legal provision, under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, that exempts packages valued under $800 from scrutiny by the US Customs and Border Patrol. He is concerned that companies like Temu and Shein are exploiting this loophole by sending their products to the U.S. through numerous smaller companies, thus avoiding accountability for compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Earlier this year, Gallagher, alongside Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the CCP, conducted an investigation into this matter, according to a press release.
Another significant focus during the upcoming session is preventing inadvertent U.S. funding of the Chinese military. Gallagher highlighted how Americans unwittingly support CCP activities, with U.S. firms, including MSCI and BlackRock, financially backing companies involved in producing various aspects of CCP military equipment. Gallagher calls for a stronger response to stop this funding, which aids the CCP's military efforts, according to the Washington Post.
"So, when it comes to ensuring that we are putting hard power into Xi Jinping's path so that he doesn't try to launch an invasion of Taiwan, which could cascade into a war which would make what is happening in eastern Ukraine right now seem timid in comparison, there we can act," said Gallagher in the interview. "I think another area where Raja and I would like to see action based on our recent investigation, is closing things like the de minimis loophole whereby Chinese companies are allowed to ship things into our country without the scrutiny they should be facing. Finally, we should stop allowing American money to flow to China, particularly Chinese military companies."
