On my very first day as a US congressman in January, I walked into my office on Capitol Hill and learned a startling lesson.
There among the array of American newspapers delivered free to every member of Congress was a copy of China Daily — a state-run propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party.
That’s when I knew my first piece of legislation needed to send a clear message: America is not for sale.
For too long, Washington has looked the other way as foreign adversaries have bought influence, shaped narratives and quietly infiltrated the institutions that are supposed to safeguard our democracy.
The bill I introduced to halt unsolicited delivery of China Daily to Capitol Hill was a necessary act of defense against information warfare being waged on our own soil.
China Daily is not journalism, but the voice of the Chinese Communist Party, registered as a foreign agent under US law.
By allowing it to be distributed through our internal mail systems — with taxpayer resources covering that cost — Congress was effectively endorsing foreign propaganda.
Hellbound and Down 