House Republicans react to Biden admin blacklisting Chinese companies tied to forced labor

Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee on Friday urged the Biden administration to do more against two Chinese battery companies that have been linked to forced labor.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday placed more than two dozen Chinese companies on its forced labor blacklist that it believes are tied to the country's exploitation of its ethnic Uyghur population. Among the companies are two connected to the Chinese Communist Party-affiliated electric vehicle battery companies CATL and Gotion.

House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar, and Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez urged the Biden administration to go beyond the blacklist and cut ties to the battery companies completely.

“While we are pleased with this initial step, we remain concerned that CATL and Gotion’s supply chains are deeply tied to the Xinjiang region," the three men said in a statement. "It is past time to stop spending taxpayer dollars partnering with Gotion and CATL. American companies should cut ties with these Chinese Communist Party-aligned battery companies and focus on developing a resilient supply chain free of forced labor."

The lawmakers also urged Congress to pass the bipartisan "Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependency Act," which would prohibit the government from procuring batteries from six companies owned and operated in China, including CATL and Gotion.

The congressmen said advancing the legislation, which has already passed the House, would help reduce American dependency on China. 

The DHS banned imports from five other Chinese companies linked to forced labor in September and October, per The Hill.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.