James Comer Sounds The Alarm: The CCP Wants ‘To Weaken Our Nation Without Ever Firing A Shot’

last year

On Wednesday, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) delivered remarks on the CCP presence in the U.S. during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

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Transcript

00:00This hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability will come to

00:03order. I want to welcome everyone here today. Without objection, the chair may

00:08declare a recess at any time. I now recognize myself for the purpose of

00:12making an opening statement. This hearing is the second in the Oversight

00:18Committee's investigation into the federal government's inadequate

00:21acknowledgement of and response to the Chinese Communist Party's campaign to

00:26infiltrate and influence America through a strategy known as political

00:31warfare. Americans outside of Washington have no difficulty identifying the CCP

00:36for what it is, an authoritarian communist regime enslaving its own

00:41people and seeking to destroy America, which the CCP calls its, quote, chief

00:47enemy. The American people know that the CCP represents the greatest foreign

00:52threat to the American way of life. According to the latest Pew Research

00:56poll, 81% of U.S. adults see China unfavorably. This spring, Gallup reported

01:02that Americans see China as our country's top foe, yet too few federal

01:08agencies have recognized that. For decades, the CCP has waged an aggressive

01:13campaign of political warfare, a strategy to weaken our nation without ever firing

01:18a shot. The end goal is clear, to weaken and defeat America. The committee's

01:25government-wide investigation has brought federal agencies in to answer

01:29for their insufficient responses. We found that too much of Washington

01:33bureaucracy is incapable of or unwilling to address the CCP threat. Today, our

01:41witnesses will testify about how the CCP is seeking to subvert our open system of

01:45government and society. These witnesses have great insight into CCP influence

01:50within federal agencies, the intelligence community, international institutions, and

01:55business circles. To be clear, it is the Chinese Communist Party who is to blame

02:00here, not people of Chinese descent, who themselves are often singled out by the

02:06CCP using these exact influence tactics. Despite the fact that CCP political

02:12warfare targets and threatens all Americans, why do many federal agencies

02:15fail to speak honestly to the American people about the CCP? Too many federal

02:21officials do not realize that they have fallen for CCP influence tactics in ways

02:26that cause some officials to reflexively dismiss the truth about this communist

02:32regime. Worse, some federal officials go so far to actually excuse the CCP's

02:38action. Some agencies do so despite abundant evidence that the CCP is spying

02:45on Americans, fueling the fentanyl crisis that is killing tens of thousands of

02:49Americans each year, stealing trade secrets to stifle American innovation,

02:55harassing Chinese students who dare speak out against the regime, threatening

03:00our energy grid and critical infrastructure, infiltrating our food

03:03supply, and much, much more. To say that it is somehow racist or inappropriate for

03:10federal agencies to aggressively combat the CCP threat placed directly

03:14into the party's hands. The CCP uses many tools and people to wage political

03:19warfare against America. Through what is known as the United Front, the CCP

03:25manipulates networks to carry out relationship-focused influence

03:28campaigns through a multitude of proxies. The United Front has long used proxies

03:34found in the business community, amongst cultural and political leaders, in

03:37international organizations, and in other influence circles to advance the regime's

03:43destructive ambitions. The CCP prioritizes seeking to influence key

03:48players in prominent business circles to curry good favor for the party-shaped U.S.

03:53decision-making and exploit U.S. businesses. Through deceptive but

03:58enticing business deals, the CCP has lured many American businesses into the

04:02lion's den that is China. Once reliant on China, too many U.S. companies fall prey

04:08to, quote, elite capture. They may find that they feel they have little choice

04:13but to support CCP interest to the detriment of their own business and our

04:18nation. CCP elite capture tactics have also seeped into federal agencies,

04:24influencing their approach to China. Many federal officials, especially in the

04:28military and intelligence community, fell for the false CCP narrative of the so

04:33called, quote, peaceful rise of China, and have yet to acknowledge their

04:39dereliction of duty. For too long, the courageous few who spoke out about

04:43the CCP threat were ignored and some were silenced. Much of the American

04:48government seems to have forgotten that its purpose is to promote the interests

04:51of Americans. When federal officials transparently message to the public

04:56about the CCP threat, they should also help inspire and equip Americans to

05:01strengthen their communities, innovate, and create, which will secure a strong

05:05and prosperous future for our nation. A strong America can resist even the most

05:09aggressive communist political warfare. I thank the witnesses for appearing today

05:14and look forward to your testimony. I now yield to Ranking Member Raskin for his

05:19opening statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

James Comer Sounds The Alarm: The CCP Wants ‘To Weaken Our Nation Without Ever Firing A Shot’

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