House Republicans are eyeing a proposal to block meetings with high-powered lobbying firms representing companies linked to China’s military.
This month, a document of unknown origin has made the rounds on Capitol Hill identifying People’s Republic of China companies on U.S. entity lists, including the Pentagon’s 1260H list of Chinese military-tied companies, plus their lobbyists, to whom lawmakers are mulling closing their doors over foreign influence concerns. Some GOP members told the Washington Examiner they’d support such a “blacklisting” initiative, which Politico reported is also being discussed among Democrats.
The document, which is titled “Buying Influence in Washington: The Top Firms Lobbying for China (January — December 2023),” notably includes the Chinese-based companies Hesai Group, Huawei Technologies, Da-Jiang Innovations, and Beijing Genomics Institute, which have been placed on lists such as the Pentagon’s 1260H or other entity lists through the departments of Treasury and Commerce. Moreover, the document identifies firms hired by the companies, such as Vogel Group, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Squire Patton Boggs, and other influential lobbying shops.
That members are considering blacklisting from contact the firms, which engage in advocacy for clients in various sectors, underscores how the threat of China is top of mind in the current Congress. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), chairman of the select Chinese Communist Party committee, told the Washington Examiner that “we must close the massive loopholes in our Foreign Agent Registration Act process and ban federally elected lawmakers, senior-level government appointees, and high-ranking military officers from lobbying as foreign agents after they leave the government.”
Asked whether he supports blacklisting the firms, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) told the Washington Examiner, “Absolutely.”
“We should do everything in our power to block the Communist Chinese from doing business in our country,” Burchett said. “Why in the world would we do business with people who want to destroy us?”
Some congressional staffers have reportedly told Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, K Street’s top lobbying firm based on revenue, that it should decline to work with Chinese military-tied clients, such as Hesai Group. Brownstein counted 79 lobbyists in 2023.
“Yes, sir,” Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) told the Washington Examiner in response to a question on if he’d likely support the blacklisting initiative.
“I don’t support providing assistance to companies operating out of the CCP,” Nehls said. “The idea that they are purchasing our land in this country is irresponsible. We must remember the CCP are not our friends. We must protect our homeland and restrict China from gaining even more influence they have received from the corrupt Biden family.”
According to a source familiar, the notion of restricting meetings with firms representing certain Chinese companies isn’t new, but it’s being discussed again as the CCP panel continues its investigations. The committee, for instance, released a report last week on venture capital firms in the United States that it said invested at least $3 billion in Chinese technology companies, some of which lawmakers asserted are aiding the country’s genocide of ethnic Uyghurs.
One senior Republican congressional staffer not authorized to speak publicly told the Washington Examiner they think the way to counter China is through legislating “in opposition to China’s advances,” as opposed to informal blacklisting.
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, a lobbyist for the Project on Government Oversight watchdog group, thinks such blacklisting would be too sweeping and unlikely to earn broad support. He said countering China’s influence could be done through strengthening the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), ranking member of the Gallagher-led CCP committee, did not return a request for comment, nor did the Pentagon.
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To Michael Sobolik, a China expert at the American Foreign Policy Council think tank, a blacklist is “merited” to counter the CCP.
“The fact congressional offices are even considering this is a huge signal,” he told the Washington Examiner. “It is a huge step. Lawmakers are waking up to the reality that there’s no such thing as a risk-free engagement proposition of economic engagement with some of these PRC companies.”