America Needs Updated Tools To Win Against China
Key Takeaways
It has been almost two years since the U.S. passed updated agency budgets.
The current spending plans used by the Departments of State and Defense were drafted in 2023.
During that period of time, China’s centralized government has been able to make dramatic changes to its pursuit of world dominance.
China is using new techniques to spy, sabotage, and steal from the U.S.
Congress needs to pass new FY 2026 appropriations bills immediately.
These bills include policies that empower America against Chinese aggression.
The final bills must retain key national security policies described below and must be signed into law.
The U.S. Has Gone Nearly Three Years Without Updating Policy
Under normal circumstances, Congress passes new bills to fund government agencies each year. Those annual appropriations bills set the spending priorities and funding levels for every federal government agency for each fiscal year. This allows lawmakers to quickly react to threats and opportunities and shift policy and dollar allocations appropriately.
That is how it is supposed to work. In reality, things have been much different.
For the past two years, political gridlock has hamstrung the normal federal funding process. Last year, Congress simply extended 2024 funding bills that were originally drafted in 2023. Instead of focusing on approving spending bills this fall, Democrats engaged in a dangerous and pointless government shutdown. Now the government is about to enter 2026 operating on bills that were drafted in 2023. This has serious national security implications.
China’s Aggression Does Not Stand Still And Wait
The Protecting America Initiative has described and highlighted dozens of incidents in which the Communist Chinese Government (CCP) in Beijing has conspired to weaken America in the last year alone. The CCP’s campaign to weaken America is coordinated, consistent, and targeted at nearly all aspects of American strength. This includes our economy, our farmland, our military, our educational institutions, and our technology.
Since the last time Congress passed new spending priorities for our national defense agencies, the Chinese government has tested new ways to undermine the U.S. Rapid purchases of U.S. farmland by Chinese entities have been exposed. Chinese spies have been caught smuggling hazardous biological material into America using public universities as patsies. The Chinese government has even been connected to repeated cyber hacks on the U.S. this year.
The CCP is not slowing down when it comes to testing our vulnerabilities. It is time for Congress to act quickly and give the U.S. the right tools to respond.
Congress Nearing Crucial Action
The majority of government agencies are currently funded through a Congressional continuing resolution that keeps spending going under the policies of the 2024 bills. That resolution expires on January 30, 2026.
Fortunately, Congress is making progress on a package of five appropriations bills that will finally rewrite national security spending policy for the first time in years. Bills that could be included in a spending package when Congress returns in January include:
Defense
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Commerce, Justice, Interior
There are currently two versions of each bill – one in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. As these bills are merged into a final legislative package, the final FY 2026 spending bills should include the following policy provisions.
Prohibiting the purchase or use of Chinese computers and technology.
Protecting the U.S. agriculture industry from unfair Chinese competition by prohibiting legal attacks against U.S. products that meet EPA standards.
Funding new programs to stop international drug trafficking including fentanyl.
Promoting domestic mining for rare minerals.
Funding to ensure the U.S. is not dependent on China for militarily-important rare earth magnets.
Establishing programs to speed the development of new nuclear reactor technology to compete with the Chinese.
The Protecting America Initiative is committed to highlighting the CCP’s attempts to interfere with the prosperity of the United States. We are also committed to supporting policies that protect our national security. We will work to see these policies above retained in a final appropriations bill and then signed into law.