A bipartisan, bicameral bill reintroduced on Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to stop Chinese Communist Party (CCP) espionage, intellectual property theft and economic warfare against the United States.
The Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act would investigate and prosecute CCP espionage, hacking, and trade secret theft; protect U.S. businesses from unfair competition and foreign influence; and would strengthen interagency coordination between the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and national security agencies.
“The CCP has stolen from our businesses, infiltrated our institutions, and undermined our economy for far too long,” U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), who reintroduced the bill, said. “This bill will ensure the U.S. government has the resources to expose, investigate, and prosecute those who seek to weaken America.”
The bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Ben Cline (R-VA), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Mike Kennedy (R-UT), Andrew Ogles (R-TN) and Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI) cosponsored the bill.
In the last Congress, the House passed a bill that would have established a CCP Initiative within the Department of Justice to counter CCP threats to national security, businesses, and universities. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is the CCP Initiative’s Senate sponsor.