Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (WV-01) issued a statement following his vote against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill that fails to address the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party. The bill provides a variety of U.S. government subsidies and climate change initiatives that give Communist China a competitive advantage, while failing to hold them accountable.

"The Democrats’ "America CONCEDES Act" fails to protect America’s interests against the threatening behavior of Communist China," said Rep. McKinley.

"House Democrats rushed through this out-of-touch 3,000-page bill, which mentions coral reefs more times than China, and mentions climate change more than twice as often as national security. China stands to benefit far more than America from the billions of dollars included in Democrats' disastrous re-hashing of their far-left Green New Deal," said Rep. McKinley.

"We must hold China accountable for their blatant cheating, their role in the Covid-19 pandemic, forced labor, genocide, and pollution, but this bill fails to meaningfully address any of those issues. Democrats put China first and America last," said Rep. McKinley.

Other provisions in the Democrats’ bill that weakens U.S. competition:

• Repackaged the Democrats failed Green New Deal Climate Change provisions and mentions coral reefs more times than China, and climate change more than twice as often as national security.
  
  
• A $3 billion solar manufacturing program subsidy that will directly benefit China because of its dominance in the critical rare earth materials used for these technologies.
  
  
• $8 billion to the unaccountable “green climate” slush fund at the UN, which has in the past awarded $100 million to China, without safeguards to stop further taxpayer funds from subsidizing the CCP.
  
  
• Distracts our military from focusing on China by directing U.S. Armed Forces to train to combat climate change events.
  
  
• Does not address China’s human rights abuses including slave labor and genocide.
  
  
• Creates a new visa carveout program granting eligibility to members of the Chinese Communist Party.
  
  
• Provides more opportunities for China to steal our intellectual property.
  
  

Rep. McKinley offered several amendments to address some of the most harmful parts of the bill, including:  

• An amendment to restrict U.S. companies from sourcing rare earth minerals from known terrorist organizations, like the Taliban in Afghanistan. This provision was included in the bill.
  
  
• A commonsense amendment that would restrict the U.S. federal government from supporting Chinese-made products, like KN-95 respirator masks. This was struck down by Democrats.
  
  
• An amendment to hold China accountable to their word that they will reduce emissions was also struck down by Democrats. China has continuously failed to live up to their word while climate agreements have held them to a more lax standard compared to other developed countries.