CAPAC Members Start Renewed Effort to Prevent Relaunch of Trump

WASHINGTON — On Oct. 1, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), First Vice Chair Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), and Ex-ecutive Member Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) led a renewed effort with 34 other members of Congress to stop Republican members of Congress from reinstating the China Initiative, a Trump-era program created in 2018 that purported to combat espionage but in effect targeted and profiled those of Chinese descent.

"Following the launch of the China Initiative in November 2018, federal authorities wielded this prosecutorial initiative as a blunt instrument rather than a narrow or tailored tool to combat threats to national security," wrote the members to House and Senate leadership. "The China Initiative also enabled the racial profiling and targeting of individuals who had 'some nexus to China.'

"Chinese American and Chinese researchers and scholars — who have made valuable contributions to science, technology, and academia in this country for decades — reported that they felt targeted because of their racial and ethnic backgrounds and fearful of conducting research."

The Department of Justice ended the program in 2022, after several of the alleged espionage and national security cases ended in acquittal, dismissal or were dropped alto-gether. But Republicans in Congress are now attempting to restart the program using a provision in a key House spending bill — at the same time that they are reviving racially motivated rhetoric against Chinese Americans.

Most recently, during a so-called "China Week," the House voted to pass H.R. 1398, the Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Act of 2024, a bill to reinstate the China Initiative.

Republicans are now attempting to relaunch the China Initiative in H.R. 9026, the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act, which funds the departments of Commerce, Justice and other science-related programs.

"Many of us wrote to you mere months ago about a nearly identical — and failed — attempt to reinstate the China Initiative in the House CJS Appropriations Act in FY 2024," the members conclude. "Rather than entertaining short-sighted policy and fear-mongering language, we ask that you work with us to find forward-looking solutions rooted in our shared commitment to American values of freedom and fairness."

The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Among those signing the letter were CAPAC members Sen. Tam-my Duckworth (D-Ill.), Rep. Ami Bera (D-Sacramento), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), and Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii).