Sen. Josh Hawley calls for investing in US workforce to fight Chinese communist threat

"This week the Senate is debating legislation to improve our competitiveness with respect to China," writes Hawley in the piece published Tuesday. "The goal is a fine one. But shoveling money to left wing research institutes won’t achieve it. We must take action to empower our own workers while holding China accountable."

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) represents an existential threat to the United States. There is broad, bipartisan agreement on this challenge," Hawley continues. "For decades, China has seized our intellectual property, flooded our country with cheap imports, gutted our industrial base, stolen our jobs, and lured American corporations abroad. With American dollars and technology, they’ve financed a regional and global strategy bent on domination."

Hawley goes on to say that "China's assertiveness and persistent prediction are only part of the picture." He points the blame both on Washington's policy choices, as well as "mega billion-dollar corporations" like Nike, the NBA, Disney, and more Big Business brands for "embracing the values of the CCP" and allegedly taking advantage of forced labor.

"Several multi-national corporations have allegedly taken advantage of forced labor in China and elsewhere, effectively choosing slaves over American workers," writes Hawley. "This is shameful. It is wrong. And it holds our country back."

Hawley urges that any bill that comes from Congress must focus first on bringing US-based Corporations focus back to the American worker and American values.

The Missouri senator continues by stating Congress must address slave labor based in China that is used by multi-national corporations.

"We know that in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, for example, the Uyghur Muslim minority has been forced into concentration camps and their labor exploited by Chinese state-backed businesses, both in Xinjiang and elsewhere," says Hawley. "This cheap, forced labor is a big reason why China has become a production powerhouse."

Hawley says that he would be proposing this week a 100 percent punitive import tariff on goods produced in Xinjiang or using materials originating in the province. He also proposes that corporations based in American should have to certify that their entire supply chain is "slave free" or "face stiff penalties."

"Will Nike be able to sell as many shoes if the label says they come from a place suspected of slave labor? This is how we can change corporate behavior," he states.

"By purging slave labor from our supply chains, we can isolate China economically and limit its access to rich American firms that fuel its aggression in the Indo-Pacific," Hawley continues. "And by protecting our domestic industry from exploited labor, we will empower our own workers and create jobs. China cannot hope to compete with American workers on a level playing field."

Hawley urges the bringing home of jobs previously lost to China.

"Since the ruinous decision to allow China into the World Trade Organization, our ballooning trade deficit with China has resulted in the loss of 3.7 million jobs," says Hawley. "These were good-paying, stable jobs that helped families grow and communities thrive."

"Rather than making a bet on special interests, let’s make a bet on American workers. Let’s give them the opportunity to compete on fair terms through corporate transparency and protective tariffs. That’s how we revitalize our economy and beat China in the decades to come," Hawley concludes.