New China Committee Chair Launches

The New Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) promises to continue the Committee's role as a spotlight, though perhaps with less  candlepower than his predecessor, retiring Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

In a series of press statements Monday, Mr. Moolenaar plowed familiar ground, while notably lacking a legislative agenda.  

"Gotion is trying to build a battery component factory in my district, and numerous concerns have been raised over the past year and half," he wrote, referring to plans to build a $2.4 billion battery plant that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called “the biggest ever economic development project in northern Michigan”  

Gotion’s board is one-third German, one-third American and one-third Chinese. The firm's largest shareholder is  Germany's Volkswagen Group owning about 26% of the company. [11093]

"Traveling overseas and crisscrossing the country as a member of the Committee, from the Pacific coast of California to the industrial centers in my home state of Michigan, I’ve witnessed the CCP’s near-constant efforts to undermine America’s core values and sovereignty," Mr. Moolenaar said in a statement.

"Just look at the CCP’s use of TikTok to indoctrinate our children, their efforts to buy our farmland, and the secret police stations the Chinese government has directed and operated right here on U.S. soil.

"The CCP is actively targeting all facets of American life, including our economy, national security, and even the privacy of our own homes.

• We will work tirelessly to deter CCP military aggression against Taiwan and our allies in the Indo-Pacific.

• We will work to prevent the CCP from stealing our technology, co-opting businesses, and harassing people on American soil.
• We will examine the most critical areas of our supply chain so we can reduce our dependence on the CCP.
• We will continue to promote engagement and partnerships with allies around the world. 

"From my time working on the Select Committee I have come to understand that what the Chinese Communist Party really fears most is a united America; an America where Democrats and Republicans work together to defend our nation."

The former Dow Chemical Chemist has represented the central Michigan district since the 2014 retirement of former Republican Ways & Means Chairman Dave Camp.   In the 118th Congress, Mr. Moolenaar sits on the Appropriations Committee, where his work has focussed on agriculture, rural development, and education.  His biography includes no military service.

In 2020 Mr. Moolenaar signed an amicus brief before the US Supreme Court in Texas v. Pennsylvania, et. al., seeking to overturn the 2020 US presidential election results.