LaHood, China Task Force Members Unveil Final Report

Statement

Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18) today joined House Republican Leadership and fellow members of the China Task Force to unveil their final legislative report. The China Task Force was launched back in May of this year to assess the growing threats posed by China, advance policies that strengthen America's supply chains and economy, and expand opportunity for Illinois agriculture.

Since then, the task force has met with 125 key stakeholders, including policy experts, business leaders, other Members of Congress, and current and former administration officials from both sides of the aisle. The report includes more than 400 recommendations. Of those, 180 are legislative recommendations, of which 64 percent are bipartisan and one-third have already passed either the House or the Senate.

"China represents an ever-evolving challenge for the United States, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and as technology and our economies modernize into the digital age. Since May, the China Task Force has worked tirelessly to develop and promote legislative solutions to confront those challenges. As the sole member from the Ways and Means Committee on the China Task Force, I worked extensively to include policy measures that bolster America's standing in the global economy, strengthen our relationship with our allies, reform the WTO, and advance our trade agenda, particularly for our farmers and manufacturers in Illinois. This comprehensive report outlines a roadmap to strengthen American competitiveness. I was proud to help develop the China Task Force report, and I will continue to advance these solutions in Congress," said Congressman Darin LaHood.

Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, added, "China is the greatest economic and security threat we face, and Republicans are committed to bolstering America's economy so that current and future generations are prepared for the challenges ahead. As this report lays out, we can use our tax and trade tools to position America as a force for good in the world while creating jobs here at home.

"Ways and Means Republicans, led by Rep. Darin LaHood, have worked well with the Task Force to develop recommendations aimed at enhancing our competitiveness through smart tax incentives that will make America medically independent and establishing pro-growth tax policies that will bring back home more research, development, and manufacturing.

"In addition, we have developed a series of bipartisan substantive trade recommendations that will discipline China's unfair trade practices, strengthen relationships with our allies and establish U.S. standards worldwide, and reform the WTO and enhance its ability to capture Chinese economic aggression.

"Darin's leadership on the Task Force paves the way for a safer and more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and with the Administration to implement these concrete and consequential recommendations."

As a member of the Economics and Energy Pillar and the Competitiveness Pillar on the China Task Force, Rep. LaHood focused on advancing policies that strengthen American competitiveness and support farmers and manufacturers in the Midwest. The report includes over 400 recommendations. Some highlights of the recommendations are below:

Passage of Rep. LaHood's Bringing Back Americans Jobs Through Intellectual Property Repatriation Act.
Pursuing trade policies that deter and protect against IP theft, and provide more protections for American companies operating abroad.
Consideration of legislation regarding securing America's supply chain, prioritizing national security and critical medical supplies, including targeted tax incentives to accelerate research and development (R&D).
Better securing our medical and national security supply chains by providing aggressive, smart, and targeted tax incentives to accelerate our R&D and production of crucial medicines, medical supplies, ingredients, tests, and vaccines.
Increasing coordination and funding for STEM education to create a more capable, skilled workforce.
Strengthening the Development Finance Corporation, Export Import Bank and other government efforts to more robustly counter the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) Belt and Road Initiative and debt-trap diplomacy.
Calls on the Administration to evaluate whether China's actions in Xinjiang.
Calls for providing a safe harbor for Hong Kong refugees.
Ensures Chinese companies are held to the same financial disclosure standards as American companies listed on the US stock exchanges.

Contains a comprehensive list of the military investment and activities needed to maintain our superiority over the CCP's military.

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