House of Representatives Unites in Bipartisan Effort to Investigate Chinese Communist Party Threats

A rare demonstration of bipartisanship was on display in the House of Representatives on Thursday night, as members of the newly formed select committee on China convened for their first hearing. The committee, made up of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, is tasked with investigating the numerous technological, economic, and military threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The chairman of the panel, Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, opened the hearing by stressing the importance of the committee’s work. “This is an existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century – and the most fundamental freedoms are at stake,” he said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed Gallagher’s sentiment in a Fox News interview that aired moments before the hearing. Wray said that the US must work together in order to counter the CCP’s threat. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the panel’s top Democrat, agreed, saying that bipartisanship is critical for the US to effectively address the issue.

The hearing comes at a time when the US is increasingly concerned about the CCP’s activities. This week, the Energy Department concluded in a classified report that the Covid-19 pandemic “likely” was spread through a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China.

The select committee on China is expected to continue its investigation into the CCP’s activities in the coming months. It remains to be seen what the committee will uncover, and how the US will respond to the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.