A mix of Democrat and Republican senators introduced the Transit Infrastructure Vehicle Security Act this week, in an effort to block federal transit funds from being used in the purchase of rail cars or buses manufactured by any company linked to China.
That ban is meant to crack down on China’s own transit manufacturing efforts, ushered in under its Made in China 2025 initiative, which their government hopes will secure them strategically.
Bill creators U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), together with co-sponsors U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), believe these practices are predatory in nature. They claim that Chinese state-owned and state-supported enterprises have used subsidized “bargain prices” below competitive market prices to win contracts in the United States.
“China poses a clear and present danger to our national security and has already infiltrated our rail and bus manufacturing industries,” Cornyn said. “The threat to our national security through the exploitation of our transportation and infrastructure sectors is one we should take seriously. This legislation will help safeguard against this threat, and I’m thankful for the support of my colleagues.”
Left unopposed, the senators believe that Chinese companies would hurt American economic competitiveness and capture supply chains. Their bill would require a certification process for transit agencies in the future, to guarantee they are not Chinese affiliated. Additionally, it would require any transit operators to develop plans for identifying and reducing cybersecurity risks. Federal transit assistance recipients would have to review best practices and identify vulnerable components.
“China has made clear its intent to dismantle U.S. railcar manufacturing in its ‘Made in China 2025’ plan—our economic and national security demands that we address Chinese attempts to dominate industries that build our nation’s critical infrastructure,” Baldwin said. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce legislation to hold China accountable because we need to do all we can to support American workers and American-made products.”