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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) reintroduced the Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s Political Influence Operations Act, which aims to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s political influence operations in the United States and around the world. The legislation requires the U.S. Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence to organize an interagency task force to compile an unclassified report on China’s disinformation, press manipulation, economic coercion and influence operations in the United States and in certain allied and partner countries who are most at-risk to these operations. The bipartisan bill also requires a strategy to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the United States and to protect U.S. citizens, particularly those that are members of the Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan diaspora communities, from Chinese government threats.

Rubio is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

“As our nation continues to confront the threat posed by the Chinese Government and Communist Party, it must have the tools necessary to combat Beijing’s malicious and coercive political influence,” Rubio said. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan initiative, which would require an unclassified interagency report that would benefit legislators and the public.”

“We should be doing everything we can to protect our nation’s democratic system from foreign attacks,” Cortez Masto said. “This bipartisan legislation will raise awareness about the real threat the Chinese Government’s interference poses around the world, while also developing policy solutions that will counter threats to the security of our democracy.”