(John McCann, Headline USA) Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has introduced a plan to end federal contracts with China-linked consulting firms.
The bill aims to weaken Chinese influence on American government and to limit opportunities for espionage.
The legislation, dubbed the Time to Choose Act, would put a halt to contracts between federal agencies and consulting firms that also have a stake in China.
The Department of Defense has been given special attention, as Hawley seeks to limit Chinese influence within the higher echelons of the American military, Breitbart reported.
Hawley explained the rationale behind his bill by stating, “the fact that these consultants are awarded huge contracts by our Defense Department and other federal agencies, while they are simultaneously working to advance China’s efforts to coerce the United States is appalling and completely unacceptable.”
He concluded by saying, “it is well past time that we hold these companies accountable and prohibit this kind of conflict of interest in government contracting.”
In addition to banning such contracts, the bill would impose steep penalties on any firms that hide or misrepresent their affiliations with the Chinese government. Existing federal contracts would be terminated, and the firms involved would pay a fine worth three times the amount they payed for the contract signed with the U.S government.
A prime example of a firm Hawley has sought to ban is McKinsey and Company.
The global consulting giant holds contracts with both the Pentagon and Chinese military enterprises. Their deal with the Pentagon has allowed them access to U.S military intelligence, planning, and high-tech weapons programs. And that’s not all.
The Chinese state-run enterprises for which McKinsey was consulted are crucial to China’s naval buildup in the Pacific. They have also been valuable in spreading China’s influence around the world.
Despite these troubling connections with the Chinese Communist Party, McKinsey and Company have received nearly $900 million in taxpayer money since 2008.
McKinsey’s conflict of interest, along with other Chinese connected firms, could lead to dire consequences for American national security and strategy as tensions with China have continued to escalate.
