NM can lead technology/military pushback on China
Congress is considering the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill that provides the budget and general framework for how our national security will be conducted for the next fiscal year. One urgent issue that the NDAA must address is the danger posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) “in many ways is the greatest, broadest, most comprehensive, long-term threat that we and our allies face.”
Indeed, the threat of China is wide-ranging and persistent. The Chinese government seeks to conduct cyber and industrial espionage, influence our policy and policymakers, and overtake U.S. military and economic capabilities to the detriment of the American people. Political leaders from both sides of the aisle agree China is intensifying these efforts and danger is growing.
The good news: the United States still has time to confront this challenge, and New Mexico is uniquely positioned to lead our technological and military push-back against China. That is why I am proud to have offered several amendments to the NDAA that will ensure a stronger country for generations to come.
During the COVID pandemic we learned a hard lesson that the U.S. does not have the necessary manufacturing base for vital supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. We also learned the U.S. has been providing direct funding to the Chinese government for research, all while China conducts vast espionage operations against our own research institutions. I am offering amendments to the NDAA that would directly address these issues.
First, I have offered an amendment that requires the Food and Drug Administration to identify regulations that are making it difficult to produce lifesaving drugs and medical supplies domestically, so the United States can take back medical production from China.
Second, I offered a bipartisan amendment that forbids American tax dollars from being used to fund research projects with the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party. We cannot subsidize the technological advances of our adversaries, nor can we be supportive of their scientific advances at the expense of our own research institutions.
This is especially true considering China’s haphazard lab safety record. The China University of Petroleum in Qingdao reported 110 university lab accidents between 2000 and 2018, resulting in 102 injuries and 10 fatalities, although the real number of accidents is likely higher. U.S. Diplomats in Beijing visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in 2019 and sent warnings back to Washington about safety concerns in the lab – three years later, the COVID lab-leak theory has become more and more plausible. Continuing to send our taxpayer dollars to Chinese research institutions makes no sense.
These amendments will not only enhance our national security but also help New Mexico. Our state has abundant human capital to ensure our national defense. Our universities and national labs will benefit from research dollars going exclusively to American institutions rather than Chinese ones. Additionally, bringing home domestic manufacturing will both benefit research institutions and help more New Mexicans to find good-paying jobs.
One of my amendments is specifically aimed at New Mexico, ensuring that Holloman Air Force Base has the most up-to-date military testing capabilities. The amendment provides for the repair and modernization of Holloman’s High Speed Test Track (HHSTT), which allows our military to test weapon systems they need to protect our nation. The HHSTT is vital to our national security as well as our rural economy, being the premier rocket sled test track in the world. New Mexico should be at the forefront of our cutting-edge technology development to stand up to Communist China.
I will continue to advocate for policies that counter China’s aggression, bolster our national security and ensure New Mexico is well-equipped to fulfill its vital role in America’s national defense preparedness.
Gloss