Transcript: Interview with Rep. Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi
Welcome to the bipartisan conversation on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party with Chairman and Ranking Member, Republican Mike Gallagher and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi. Good morning.
Gallagher: It’s great to be here.
Brennan: Can we work together to pass the $4 billion for Taiwan and Asian allies before the end of the year? Gallagher?
Gallagher: Absolutely. There’s a growing threat to Taiwan, and we need to act before it’s too late. Xi Jinping’s threats to Taiwan are increasing the risk of war, and we need to fix the fundamental problem.
Brennan: Krishnamoorthi, can we pass this before the end of 2023?
Krishnamoorthi: We have to take action. We need to deter aggression and support Taiwan to prevent war and maintain stability in the region.
Brennan: Gallagher, you want to subpoena the sponsors of a dinner Xi Jinping attended. What do you seek to achieve?
Gallagher: We need to take a stand against U.S. capital flowing to Chinese military companies and cut off support to avoid risking American interests for financial gain.
Brennan: Congressman Gallagher, the two economies are intertwined, is it realistic to unwind?
Gallagher: It has to be unwound at least in part. Congress needs to act to cut off the flow of U.S. capital to Chinese military companies and modernize our military.
Krishnamoorthi: Many private sector companies are already reducing their exposure to China. Our committee is making a difference in this regard.
Brennan: Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi, do you think the summit achieved expectations?
Gallagher: Establishing crisis communication channels and addressing the fentanyl issue are positive steps, but more needs to be done to counter the CCP’s actions.
Krishnamoorthi: The summit had low expectations, but the establishment of military-to-military communication channels and cooperation on fentanyl are promising. We hope to see more action on human rights abuses.
