Gallego Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fight Chinese Border Efforts

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has introduced legislation to combat China's various efforts to undermine the United States via the southern border.

Specifically, the SHIELD Against CCP Act forms a working group within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to examine the various means by which the Chinese seek to undermine America via the border, including identity theft, visa processes, unlawful border crossings, human smuggling/trafficking, and direct or indirect support for various criminal organizations bringing fentanyl into the country.

From there, data will be reported annually to Congress, and strategies will be devised to counter these acts perpetrated by China.

"Fentanyl has devastated communities across Arizona for too long, and we need to use every tool available to stop the flow of this deadly drug into our country," said Sen. Gallego in his press release, adding, "This bipartisan bill will help DHS understand how the Chinese Communist Party is exploiting our border and fueling fentanyl trafficking, so we can close those gaps and keep our communities safe."

The Board Advisor for the Arizona Narcotic Officers Association, Jim Molesa, a local sponsor of the bill, said, "The Arizona Narcotic Officers Association appreciates Senator Gallego's commitment to fighting Arizona's growing fentanyl crisis."

"His new bill will support efforts to dismantle the networks fueling this crisis and address the CCP's role in the fentanyl supply chain, and we commend his leadership on this issue," Molesa added.

Sen. Gallego is joined by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and John Fetterman (D-PA) as cosponsors of the bill. At the same time, Representatives Dale Strong (R-AL) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) have introduced companion legislation in the House.

The Arizona Senator's bill comes on the heels of another piece of bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting against foreign threats, chiefly via cyberattacks.

Gallego's Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, introduced with Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), amends part of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program by awarding grants to fund guidance and training for state and local actors on protecting the cybersecurity of their water infrastructure.