Comer: The Federal Bureaucracy is Incapable of, or Unwilling to, Address the CCP’s Political Warfare Campaign Against America
WASHINGTON – House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled “Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part II.” To date, the Committee’s government-wide investigation has outlined how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is waging an influence and infiltration campaign that threatens U.S. military readiness, the technology sector, financial markets, agriculture industry, education systems, intellectual property, and our own federal government agencies. Chairman Comer emphasized that the Committee’s work has revealed federal agencies have failed to combat the CCP’s nefarious tactics, and the Washington bureaucracy appears to be unwilling to address the ongoing threat. Today’s hearing provides members the opportunity to hear from experts who have insight into CCP influence within federal agencies and key sectors, and the Oversight Committee will continue to examine solutions that agencies can adopt to counter CCP political warfare.
Below are Chairman Comer’s remarks as prepared.
This hearing is the second in the Oversight Committee’s investigation into the federal government’s inadequate acknowledgment of and response to the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign to infiltrate and influence America through a strategy known as political warfare.
Americans outsideof Washington have no difficulty identifying the CCP for what it is: an authoritarian, communist regime enslaving its own people, and seeking to destroy America, which the CCP calls its “chief enemy.”
The American people know that the CCP represents the greatest foreign threat to the American way of life. According to the latest Pew Research poll, 81 percent of U.S. adults see China unfavorably. This spring, Gallup reported that Americans see China as our country’s top foe.
Yet too few federal agencies have recognized that, for decades, the CCP has waged an aggressive campaign of political warfare—a strategy to weaken our nation without firing a shot.
The end goal is clear—to weaken and defeat America.
The Committee’s government-wide investigation has brought federal agencies in to answer for their insufficient responses. We’ve found that too much of Washington bureaucracy is incapable of, or unwilling to, address the CCP threat.
Today, three witnesses will testify about how the CCP is seeking to subvert our open system of government and society. These witnesses have great insight into CCP influence within federal agencies, the Intelligence Community, international institutions, and business circles.
To be clear, it is the Chinese Communist Party who is to blame here—not people of Chinese descent, who themselves are often singled out by the CCP using these exact influence tactics.
Despite the fact that CCP political warfare targets and threatens allAmericans—why do many federal agencies fail to speak honestly to the American people about the CCP?
Too many federal officials do not realize that they have fallen for CCP influence tactics—in ways that cause some officials to reflexively dismiss the truth about this communist regime.
Worse, some federal officials go so far as to actually excuse the CCP’s actions.
Some agencies do so despite abundant evidence that the CCP is:
- Spying on Americans,
- Fueling the fentanyl crisis that is killing tens of thousands of Americans each year,
- Stealing trade secrets to stifle American innovation,
- Harassing Chinese students who dare to speak out against the regime,
- Threatening our energy grid and critical infrastructure,
- Infiltrating our food supply, and much, much more.
To say that it is somehow racist or inappropriate for federal agencies to aggressively combat the CCP threat plays directly into the Party’s hands.
The CCP uses many tools and people to wage political warfare against America.
Through what is known as the “united front,” the CCP manipulates networks to carry out relationship-focused influence campaigns through a multitude of proxies. The united front has long used proxies—found in the business community, amongst cultural and political leaders, in international organizations, and in other influential circles—to advance the regime’s destructive ambitions.
The CCP prioritizes seeking to influence key players in prominent business circles to curry good favor for the Party, shape U.S. decision-making, and exploit U.S. businesses.
Through deceptive but enticing business deals, the CCP has lured many American businesses into the lion’s den that is China. Once reliant on China, too many U.S. companies fall prey to “elite capture.” They may find that they feel they have little choice but to support CCP interests to the detriment of their own business and our nation.
CCP “elite capture” tactics have also seeped into federal agencies, influencing their approach to China. Many federal officials, especially in the military and intelligence community, fell for the false CCP narrative of the so-called “peaceful rise” of China—and have yet to acknowledge their dereliction of duty. For too long, the courageous few who spoke out about the CCP threat were ignored—and some were silenced.
Much of the American government seems to have forgotten that its purpose is to promote the interests of Americans.
When federal officials transparently message to the public about the CCP threat, they should also help inspire and equip Americans to strengthen their communities, innovate, and create, which will secure a strong and prosperous future for our nation.
A strong America can resist even the most aggressive communist political warfare.
I thank the witnesses for appearing today and look forward to their testimony.
I now yield to Ranking Member Raskin for his opening remarks.