Senate rejects federal funds benefiting China.

US Senate Votes to Restrict Funding​ to China

Bipartisan members of the U.S. ​Senate agreed on Oct. 31 that federal⁣ funding for⁣ military construction and‌ the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Transportation, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development should not benefit China.

In a 61-36 vote, members approved an ​amendment⁤ to the Senate’s spending package for those agencies that would prohibit the use of appropriated funds to⁣ provide “grants, funding, or⁢ any ‍financial benefit” to China-based entities⁣ or their ​subsidiaries.

“Whatever other disagreements we may ​have about⁤ the ‌spending ⁢in these bills, surely we can agree that ​this money ought to go to Americans and American companies and our allies,”⁣ said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the amendment’s sponsor, on ‌the‍ Senate floor.

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“All this amendment does is‌ it says that none of ‍the money we are appropriating can go ‌to ‌China,” ⁢he explained. “It ​can’t go to ​Chinese companies, or companies that are owned and controlled by China—that’s it. It’s⁤ simple: No American taxpayer dollars to the‍ People’s Republic⁤ of ⁤China. This should be an easy vote.”

While a majority of the chamber clearly agreed, Sen. Patty Murray⁤ (D-Wash.) warned ‌the amendment could have “far-reaching, unintended​ consequences” that could complicate⁤ agencies’ abilities to ​do their jobs.

Ms. Murray further contended​ that school⁣ lunch ⁤programs ​could face⁢ difficulties procuring meat given that some meat producers and processing companies, like Smithfield Foods, are owned ⁢by ​Chinese companies. And the ​Federal Aviation Administration, she added, would ​no longer be able to purchase Chinese-made drones for research, testing, and training.

“Do⁤ we want to be buying school lunches from China?” he asked. “Do we want to be ​buying ‌pharmaceuticals from China and be dependent on ‌them?‌ I ⁣think ‍not.”

Staying Vigilant

The move to restrict the flow of federal​ funds to ‌China comes at a time of increasing tension between the communist ⁤nation and the U.S., as the two ‍countries remain ‌at ⁣odds ‍over the independence of Taiwan ⁢and ‍the⁤ war in Ukraine.

In recent⁢ months, leaders in the United States ⁤have sought to limit China’s influence domestically, particularly in relation‌ to the ⁣food supply.

And U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina‍ Raimondo, in a September interview with CNN, ⁤said that the Biden administration⁤ is⁣ also being “vigilant about not allowing Chinese⁣ investment in the U.S. that we ⁢think hurts our national security.”

“We have to be real about ⁢those concerns,” Ms. Raimondo said. “So, to the extent that Chinese investors, buying farmland, buying U.S. businesses, erodes our national security, then we should‌ stop it.”

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