Jackson/Photo by Campaign
U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Amarillo) has introduced a new bill aimed at “strengthening the U.S. strategy against China.”
According to Jackson’s office, the Amarillo Republican’s new bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees detailing the feasibility of establishing an office in the Department of Defense to oversee sanctions on Chinese military companies.
The new bill was introduced after President Joe Biden transferred authority to impose sanctions on Chinese military companies to the Department of the Treasury, as opposed to the Department of Defense, which oversaw such sanctions under President Trump, Jackson’s office said.
“The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest threat our country faces, so we cannot afford a strategic shortfall that gives China a leg up,” Jackson said. “No one understands the threat posed by Chinese Communist military companies better than DoD. Their analysis of which companies we should sanction is rooted in the National Defense Strategy, which guides the U.S. military in our great power competition with China. Our national security should always come first in the conversation on China, and DoD is much better positioned than Treasury to identify these threats. For these reasons, we must ensure DoD remains a part of the conversation and my legislation will do just that.”
Jackson’s full bill can be read here.