U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Monday took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to issue a stark warning over the growing threat the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to the United States.
To confront the Chinese threat, Tuberville called for the United States to hold the communist regime accountable for its subversive actions by approving increased and targeted defense spending, as well as remaining vigilant against CCP ambitions.
Alabama’s junior senator outlined the national security threat China poses to the homeland and called upon Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) up for a vote in the upper chamber.
“China continues to outspend us on National Security. In just the last ten years, China’s defense spending has increased by $200 billion while we, the United States of America, has decreased by $400 billion,” advised Tuberville. “And that brings me to a very important point: Senator Schumer needs to bring up the National Defense Authorization Act for a vote on the Senate floor.”
Tuberville made mention of China’s recent missile testing in which the regime launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile into low-earth orbit around the globe before reportedly successfully striking its intended target.
The freshman senator further noted the Chinese threat as being two-fold. Along with national security-related concerns, Tuberville warned of China’s intentions to inflict economic hardship upon the United States.
“And when it comes to taking over the economic upper hand: China has no rules – and Chinese companies definitely don’t play by ours,” said Tuberville. “Our country has already seen Chinese companies, backed by the Chinese Communist Party, attempt to invest in and even take over [American] companies. This grave national security threat will only grow if we allow China to invest in our critical industries.”
He continued, “One way to do that is to add a permanent agricultural perspective to this committee, which is not on there as we speak. The COVID pandemic showed us just how important it is to have strong supply chains – especially when it comes to our food supply. Every American is supported by a safe and secure food supply – it’s critical to our country’s prosperity. Not everyone thinks about food security in relation to national security – but they are linked.”
The senator noted his efforts to shield U.S. agriculture from foreign adversarial influence. Earlier this month, Tuberville introduced the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act, which seeks to stifle foreign influence stemming from improper investment relating to the U.S. agricultural industry.
Tuberville slammed progressives’ efforts to raise the corporate tax rate higher than that of China’s, likening the attempt to “standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself by the handle.”
“Their way is not the way to combat China – it is the way to become China,” Tuberville said. “We all know China wants to overtake the United States as the world superpower. But what makes the United States a superpower is not just our economic and military might. We are a superpower for what our military is fighting to defend and to protect: our freedoms and our values, and the American spirit of innovation and ingenuity – of hard work and grit.”
He concluded, “These values pose a direct threat to communist China – they are why China wants to surpass our country as the world’s Number one superpower. We need leadership that protects our national security and our economic security – it’s the only way to combat the aggression that the Biden administration’s weakness has invited.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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