House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, has pledged to use the 118th Congress to set federal policy that will give President Joe Biden a “backbone” to tackle the threat posed by China.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, McCarthy said that he intends to approve these measures on a bipartisan basis so Beijing understands “we mean business”.
McCarthy explained that if the policymakers are on board, the House can provide the President with the policy that will make him stronger and give him a stronger hand in negotiations.
He wants to empower the President, and believes that if the House is united, it gives the President a stronger hand.
McCarthy stressed that the President needs to be where House Republicans and Democrats are on the issue, and warned that he is “not there” yet.
He urged unity in the House to speak directly to China and stated that regardless of how long Biden thinks he has known Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi is a different person and China is in a different place. They believe they are stronger now than they were before, and we need to be united to confront them.
One of the first areas where Biden should show strength, according to McCarthy, is on the issue of fentanyl. McCarthy suggested that Biden should tell Xi to stop the fentanyl coming to America, emphasizing that it is personal and that the U.S. will do something about it if China fails to comply.
McCarthy said the U.S. has done this before, and the fentanyl trade was curbed very quickly. McCarthy is hopeful that the White House and Congress can find consensus on the approach to China, stating that their job is to work together to find what is best for America.
McCarthy spoke to Fox News Digital the day after the House China Select Committee’s first hearing. The committee was created by McCarthy for the 118th Congress to focus on areas such as intelligence, agriculture, and the economy.
McCarthy believes China has tried to take dominance in these areas, and the committee’s mission is to confront the CCP threat. McCarthy worked with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to ensure the committee works in a bipartisan way. The committee was approved with overwhelming support from both sides.