The anti-China drumbeat: NDAA edition
- Jael Holzman, author of Axios Pro: Energy Policy
Delete imagePhoto: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
The forthcoming House floor debate on the defense authorization bill will deal with restricting China's involvement in the U.S. electric vehicle market.
Why it matters: A slow bipartisan march is happening in Congress toward anti-China policies that can undercut climate progress, as we told you yesterday.
- The NDAA isn't a vehicle for completely derailing China's role as of yet. But it may set up future policy discussions about China and EVs.
Driving the news: The House Rules Committee late last night approved many of the amendments for NDAA floor debate, including one from Andy Barr for a DOD study on the "influence of China on the electric vehicle supply chain."
- Other amendments would expand a list of Chinese battery companies ineligible for DOD procurement and request a strategy to get "critical mineral supply chain independence" by 2035.
Our thought bubble: Very little political distance exists between voting for a DOD ban on Chinese battery companies and a similar restriction targeting DOE grant recipients — something working its way through House approps.
What we're watching: The Rules Committee will have to take up more amendments to get a floor vote as Republicans work out disagreements.