Baldwin, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Support U.S. Manufacturing, Bar Taxpayer Funds on Chinese-Made Buses and Rail Cars

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in introducing the Safeguarding Transit Operations to Prohibit (STOP) China Act to support American manufacturing and workers and stop the U.S. government from buying Chinese buses and rail cars. The bill will protect domestic transit supply chains from malign Chinese influence by preventing any U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funds from being awarded for the purchase of Chinese government transit buses or rail cars.

“When we invest American taxpayer dollars, we should be supporting our Made in America economy and American workers, not opening our checkbook to adversaries like China,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to support our workers and companies, keep the United States safe, and close a loophole that Chinese companies are exploiting to win government contracts and undercut American workers.”

“It is China’s mission to infiltrate and dominate every aspect of American society, including our transit systems, and we cannot let them succeed,” said Senator Cornyn. “By preventing American tax dollars from being used to purchase Chinese government transit buses or rail cars, our legislation would help protect U.S. transportation infrastructure from the CCP.”

“Companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party have no business receiving a penny of American federal taxpayer dollars,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “The STOP China Act strengthens federal law meant to ensure that our transportation programs don’t fund these corporations and will help protect the jobs of hardworking Teamsters who manufacture buses against unfair state-sponsored competition.”

Congress passed the Transportation Infrastructure Vehicle Security Act (TIVSA), which prohibits companies with ties to China’s government from receiving taxpayer-funded contracts from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to build U.S. rail cars and buses, as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

However, China has taken advantage of other government funds in the law to continue competing for transit business in the U.S. The STOP China Act would prevent any appropriated funds to the DOT from being awarded to grantees for the purchase of Chinese government transit buses. It would also require the United States Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the U.S. Attorney General, to produce a list of prohibited entities headquartered or affiliated with China.

In addition to Senator Baldwin, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

The legislation is endorsed by Alliance for American Manufacturing, Steel Manufacturers Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Steelworkers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Transport Workers Union of America.

Full text of the bill is available here. 

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