A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has introduced legislation aimed at preventing federal transport grants from being used to purchase buses and railroad vehicles created by state-backed Chinese companies. Known as protection of transportation operations to ban China law, the bill seeks to reduce the US transport sector’s reliance on Chinese manufacturers and limit the Chinese government’s impact on domestic supply chains.
The law was introduced by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), John Cornyn (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capitol (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Tina Smith (D-MN). A fellow bill is led in the House of Representatives by lawmakers Rick Crawford (R-AR) and John Galamendi (D-CA).
Senator Scott highlighted the need for measures to protect U.S. infrastructure from potential exploitation.
“We cannot grant access to hostile regimes to the supply chains and transportation that we rely on every day,” Scott warned against the use of US taxes to fund projects that could benefit the Chinese Communist Party.
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Supporters of the bill include a variety of labor unions and industry groups, including the United Steel Manufacturers Alliance, the Association of Steel Manufacturers, United Steel Workers, Teamster’s International Brotherhood, International Mechanics and Aerospace Workers Association, and the American Transport Workers Union.
Senator Marsha Blackburn reiterated these concerns, saying, “China law will use hard-earned US dollars to purchase Chinese-made vehicles on our transportation infrastructure, thereby protecting our national security and supporting America’s manufacturing.”
If enacted, this law prohibits the US Department of Transport from granting funds to transport vehicles to purchase from entities associated with the Chinese government.
