Comer Presses National Security Council on Developing Plan to Combat CCP Influence

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is continuing the Committee’s government-wide investigation into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing efforts to target, influence, and infiltrate every sector and community in the United States. In a letter to National Security Council (NSC) Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Chairman seeks to ascertain whether the NSC is establishing a government-wide strategy necessary to deter and defeat CCP political warfare threatening the American way of life.

“The National Security Council is uniquely positioned to lead this challenge for America. As ‘the President’s principal forum for national security and foreign policy decision making,’ and ‘the President’s principal arm for coordinating these policies across federal agencies,’ the NSC has great responsibility to construct and execute a government-wide strategy to secure the nation from CCP efforts to infiltrate, influence and weaken the homeland,” wrote Chairman Comer. “In addition to the Committee’s ongoing investigation and warnings from the Intelligence Community, serious questions remain about whether the NSC fully understands, or has a coordinated plan, to defeat the CCP’s unrestricted warfare targeting American communities, sectors, and the U.S. government.”

On March 13, Chairman Comer launched an investigation into China’s political warfare campaign and sought initial information from agencies. As part of the government-wide investigation, the first hearing, on April 17, featured experts who outlined how the CCP’s actions, which seek to defeat America, threaten U.S. military readiness, the technology sector, critical infrastructure, financial markets, the agriculture industry, education systems, intellectual property, federal agencies, and more. On June 26, the Oversight Committee held a second hearing, focusing on China’s deliberate targeting and manipulation of particular sectors, including the business community, federal agencies, and international financial institutions.

“As National Security Advisor, you are responsible for setting the NSC’s agenda, serving as Chair of the Principals Committee, and establishing Interagency Policy Committees (IPC), among other duties. An IPC focused on CCP political warfare, if not already in place, could play an important role in a government-wide response to the persistent threat.  Indeed, IPCs are the “main day-to-day fora for interagency coordination of national security policy,” continued Chairman Comer. “The Committee seeks to ascertain whether the NSC is establishing a government-wide strategy necessary to deter and defeat CCP political warfare threatening the American way of life.”

Read the letter to NSC Advisor Sullivan here.

Read the letters sent on July 18:

Read the letters sent on June 21:

Read the letters sent on May 6:

Read the letters sent on March 13: