Congressman Carlos Gimenez, former Mayor of Miami-Dade County and current Chair of the Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, emphasized Monday the growing threats posed to U.S. ports by foreign adversaries, particularly China.
Drawing on his experience in both local and national leadership, Gimenez stressed the urgent need for the United States to sever its reliance on China in critical sectors.
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Gimenez, who also spearheaded a joint investigation with the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition, warned of the national security risks facing U.S. ports.
“We must understand and address these threats that could undermine the U.S. supply chain and leave our national security at risk,” he said. “We must understand and address these threats that could undermine the US supply chain and leave our national security at risk. The United States must secure its own equipment and end our dependence on foreign adversaries that seek to compromise our critical infrastructure.”
The investigation shed light on vulnerabilities within the nation’s port infrastructure that could be exploited by foreign adversaries, further emphasizing the need to secure domestic equipment.
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A key component of his efforts is the H.R. 8631 – Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, a bill introduced by Gimenez that was passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The legislation prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries from companies with ties to the People’s Republic of China.
“With this bill we reaffirm and continue to decouple ourselves from Communist China but also send a demand signal to our own domestic industries to start producing critically important materials. We must proactively stay ahead and address these threats that undermine the US supply chain and leave our national security at risk,” Gimenez said.
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He urged the U.S. Senate to take up the bill swiftly, stressing the need to stay ahead of the evolving threats posed by China’s involvement in critical infrastructure.
“I urge the U.S. Senate to take up the bill so it can be sent to the President’s desk. We were already late to recognize the PRC’s battery threat, and we cannot afford to do it again,” Gimenez added.
The congressman continues to advocate for a full-scale decoupling from China to protect U.S. national security and ensure the integrity of its supply chains.
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