While tensions between the United States and China have grown over the years, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced the Protecting Our Homeland from Chinese Espionage Act this week.
As proposed, the bill would require companies bidding for any Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts to list any China-affiliated entities associated with their project and offer any corresponding information related to that relationship and the Chinese organization involved. It would also set up a public database of any DHS contract where an awardee works with a Chinese-affiliated entity.
“China is hands-down the biggest threat to our national security,” Harshbarger said. “I am proud of this great nation and refuse to let the Chinese government spy on DHS contracts through Chinese businesses. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it’s time we shine a light on the sloppy arrangements that put the future of our nation at risk.”
By outing these companies, Harshbarger stated her belief that it would help protect American intellectual property and special intelligence from theft by the Chinese Communist Party. She added that it followed Chinese espionage attempts focused on sensitive national security information.
Contractors and subcontractors exist in a unique place within the federal bureaucracy. Necessary for many efforts, even in security, they also extend the number of people and access points for sensitive information as they work. Harshbarger sees them as vulnerabilities China could exploit to access sensitive data at the DHS, specifically.