[Pages H1049-H1051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

STRATEGIC HOMELAND INTELLIGENCE AND ENFORCEMENT LEGISLATION TO DEFEND
AGAINST THE CCP ACT

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 708) to establish in the Department of Homeland
Security a working group relating to countering terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation security
threats posed to the United States by the Chinese Communist Party, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 708

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Strategic Homeland
Intelligence and Enforcement Legislation to Defend Against
the CCP Act'' or the ``SHIELD Against CCP Act''.

SEC. 2. WORKING GROUP TO COUNTER CERTAIN THREATS POSED TO THE
UNITED STATES BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall establish in the Department of Homeland Security a
working group (in this section referred to as the ``Working
Group''), which shall carry out the duties specified in
subsection (b) relating to countering terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation
security threats posed to the United States by the Chinese
Communist Party.
(2) Director.--
(A) Appointment.--The head of the Working Group shall be a
Director (in this section referred to as the ``Director''),
who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(B) Reporting.--The Director shall report to the Secretary
of Homeland Security regarding all administrative,
operational, and security matters of the Working Group.
(3) Staffing.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
ensure the Working Group is provided with the following:
(A) A sufficient number of employees to perform required
duties.
(B) Not fewer than one employee dedicated to ensuring
compliance with privacy laws and regulations.
(4) Detailees.--The Working Group may accept and employ
detailees with expertise in countering terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation
security threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the
United States, or in related fields, from any element of the
intelligence community or any other Federal agency the
Director determines appropriate, with or without
reimbursement, consistent with applicable laws and
regulations regarding such employees.
(b) Duties.--The Working Group shall carry out the
following:
(1) Examine, assess, and report upon efforts by the
Department of Homeland Security to counter terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation
security threats posed to the United States by the Chinese
Communist Party, including efforts to counter the Chinese
Communist Party's--
(A) nontraditional tactics and exploitation of the United
States immigration system through--
(i) identity theft;
(ii) the immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processes;
(iii) unlawful border crossings;
(iv) human smuggling; and
(v) human trafficking;
(B) predatory economic and trade practices, including the
trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods, the use of
forced labor, labor exploitation for financial gain, customs
fraud, and theft of intellectual property and technology;
(C) direct or indirect support for transnational criminal
organizations trafficking in fentanyl, illicit drug
precursors, or other controlled substances through--
(i) the United States border;
(ii) international mail shipments; or
(iii) express consignment operations; and
(D) support for illicit financial activity by Chinese Money
Laundering Organizations, including any repatriation to China
or any other country of the proceeds derived from the
activities described in subparagraphs (A) through (C).
(2) Account for the resources of the Department that are
dedicated to programs aimed at countering terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation
security threats posed to the United States by the Chinese
Communist Party, and any supporting information as to the
efficacy of each such program.
(3) Build upon existing or ongoing evaluations and avoid
unnecessary duplication by reviewing the findings,
conclusions, and recommendations of other appropriate working
groups, committees, commissions, or entities established by
the Department related to efforts to counter terrorist,
cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation
security threats posed to the United States by the Chinese
Communist Party.
(4) Identify gaps in policies, processes, and activities of
the Department to respond to terrorist, cybersecurity, border
and port security, and transportation security threats posed
to the United States by the Chinese Communist Party.
(5) Facilitate cooperation and coordination among offices
and components of the Department on a holistic response to
countering terrorist, cybersecurity, border and port
security, and transportation security threats posed to the
United States by the Chinese Communist Party.
(c) Additional Duty Relating to Information Sharing.--The
Working Group shall review, in coordination with the Office
of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland
Security, information relating to terrorist, cybersecurity,
border and port security, and transportation security threats
posed to the United States by the Chinese Communist Party
that is gathered by Federal, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial partners, and the National Network of Fusion
Centers, and incorporate such information, as appropriate,
into the Working Group's own information relating to such
threats. The Working Group, in coordination with the Office
of Intelligence and Analysis, shall also ensure the
dissemination to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial partners, and the National Network of Fusion
Centers, of information related to such threats.
(d) Annual Assessments.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this section and annually thereafter for
five years, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in
coordination with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, the Director
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of
National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that assesses terrorist,
cybersecurity,

[[Page H1050]]

border and port security, and transportation security threats
posed to the United States by the Chinese Communist Party
during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(2) Contents.--Each assessment under paragraph (1) shall
also include the following:
(A) A description of the activities and operations of the
Working Group undertaken pursuant to subsection (b).
(B) Any other matters the Secretary of Homeland Security
determines relevant.
(3) Form.--Each assessment under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall post on a
publicly available website of the Department of Homeland
Security the unclassified portion of each assessment.
(4) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the submission
of each assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall provide to the appropriate
congressional committees a briefing on such assessment and
the progress and challenges of the Working Group.
(e) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the implementation of
this section.
(f) Research and Development.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director and the
Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department
of Homeland Security, shall, to the extent practicable, carry
out research and development, including operational testing,
of technologies and techniques for enhancing the Department's
security and situational awareness relating to countering
terrorist, cybersecurity, border and port security, and
transportation security threats posed to the United States by
the Chinese Communist Party.
(g) Implementation.--All activities carried out pursuant to
this section--
(1) shall be carried out in accordance with applicable
constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties
protections; and
(2) may not infringe upon the lawful exercise of free
speech by United States persons.
(h) Sunset.--The Working Group shall terminate on the date
that is seven years after the establishment of the Working
Group under subsection (a)(1).
(i) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) in the House of Representatives--
(i) the Committee on Homeland Security;
(ii) the Committee on Ways and Means;
(iii) the Committee on Financial Services;
(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; and
(v) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and
(B) in the Senate--
(i) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs;
(ii) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs;
(iii) the Committee on Finance;
(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; and
(v) the Committee on Foreign Relations.
(2) Fusion center.--The term ``fusion center'' has the
meaning given such term in subsection (k) of section 210A of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h).
(3) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence
community'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(4)
of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).
(4) National network of fusion centers.--The term
``National Network of Fusion Centers'' means a decentralized
arrangement of fusion centers intended to enhance individual
State and urban area fusion centers' ability to leverage the
capabilities and expertise of all such fusion centers for the
purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security
information sharing nationally.
(5) United states persons.--The term ``United States
person'' has the meaning given such term in section
1637(d)(10) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2015 (50
U.S.C. 1708(d)(10)).

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.

General Leave

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 708.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 708, the SHIELD
Against CCP Act.
The Chinese Communist Party continues to increasingly threaten the
security of our homeland. We must begin to come up with serious
solutions to this serious problem, and this bill is an important start.
This bill would require that DHS establish a working group to take
the important step of appropriately addressing and countering these
threats. I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Strong), for his important work on this measure and on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, we must alter our posture to appropriately address the
threat posed by the CCP to our homeland. This is not optional.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree that the United States' main
competitor is China and the Chinese Communist Party who are intent on
tilting the global playing field to their benefit, undermining our
national standing.
To do this, China is expanding its covert influence, seeking to turn
public opinion and effect policies that are more favorable to China and
against the United States. Additionally, the CCP seeks to exploit
American openness to steal economic secrets and undermine our national
security.
This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to
establish a working group to coordinate its efforts to address the
threats posed to the homeland by the Chinese Communist Party.
The working group will examine the threats posed by the CCP, identify
ongoing Departmental efforts to address those threats, identify any
gaps in such efforts, and then facilitate coordination across DHS to
holistically address the threats from the CCP.
Mr. Speaker, this bill helps ensure that DHS implements a coordinated
and effective response to the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to
undermine the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Strong), the author of this
legislation.
Mr. STRONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation,
H.R. 708, the SHIELD Against CCP Act.
I thank Chairman Green and each of the Members who have joined me in
introducing this bill.
There is no question that the Chinese Communist Party poses a clear
and present threat to both the security and democracy of the United
States of America.
As detailed in DHS' 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment, the Chinese
Government poses a wide array of dangers to our Nation. These threats
span across various sectors, including public safety, border and
immigration, critical infrastructure, and economic security.
Threats of this nature undermine our global competitiveness and
national security, and in some cases, impose a significant financial
burden on our economy. It is absolutely essential that the Department
of Homeland Security take decisive action to address these complex
threats both at home and abroad.
This is why I have reintroduced H.R. 708, the SHIELD Against CCP Act.
This legislation requires DHS to establish a dedicated working group
focused on countering the threats posed by the CCP to our Homeland
Security. Specifically, it requires them to examine, assess, and report
on DHS' efforts to address these threats.
To ensure accountability, my bill also mandates that DHS provide an
annual report to Congress, allowing us to monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness of their efforts.

{time} 1630

As Members of Congress, it is our solemn duty to ensure the safety
and well-being of our great Nation. We cannot afford to ignore the
increased aggression and influence of China on the global stage.
In the 118th Congress, I was honored to have the backing of my
colleagues in advancing this legislation through the House. I now urge
all Members to join me once again in supporting the SHIELD Against CCP
Act to protect our national security and safeguard our interests.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Strong for sponsoring this
legislation,

[[Page H1051]]

but I must acknowledge that over the past few weeks, the Trump
administration has taken several alarming actions that work to counter
the work we are trying to do today with this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the Trump administration to work with Congress
and not against Congress' efforts to strengthen America's ability to
compete with China like this bill that aims to do exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 708.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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