On Lou Dobbs to Discuss CFIUS, Huawei, and 3Com deal.

Rep. McCotter: America's Protected from Stealth Assault on National Security

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), who was the first member of the U.S. Congress to oppose the proposed merger of communist China’s Huawei Technologies Co., Massachusetts based Bain Capital and 3Com - an American company which provides the Pentagon with security technologies - today responded to the failure to reach an agreement:

"While some called such national security concerns over the deal everything but right, the truth remains: the collapse of the Huawei deal is a victory for America's cyber-security and national security.

"But we must not be lulled to sleep by this lone victory in protecting America's cyber-security and national security. We must remain even more vigilant to ensure American national security is not for sale; and to stop communist Chinese stealth assaults on our national security."

McCotter was the first member of Congress to bring this issue to public attention and oppose it. In early October 2007 Congressman McCotter circulated a letter signed by his colleagues and subsequently sent to CFIUS. McCotter also continued to oppose the deal, despite communist Chinese inspired personal attacks in the media.

Ironically, just last week the Financial Times quoted the chief marketing officer at Huawei Technologies, Xu Zhijun, who said McCotter's opposition to the deal on national security grounds were "bullshit". The quote came out on the same day as several Chinese nationals were being held for spying charges for possibly selling military secrets to the communist Chinese government.

Nevertheless, the three companies withdrew their applications to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CIFIUS), because Bain and Huawei, who were trying to buyout 3Com, could not calm national-security concerns with the U.S. government panel. Specifically in question was 3Com's TippingPoint unit, which sells security software used by U.S. government agencies.

McCotter, the Republican House Policy Committee Chair who has been the leading opponent of unconditional engagement with communist China, added:

"They are testing us every day to no good end. So we must be unwavering in our support of liberty and national security against communist China's perpetual pressure. And let them make no mistake: as it did against the Soviet Union, liberty will prevail."

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Cuba Libre!

Today, we herald the dawn of the Cuban people’s ultimate freedom from the communist regime imposed upon them by the murderous Fidel Castro and his gaggle of assassins.

Now, all free peoples must strive to liberate that imprisoned island; ensure this ray of hope is burgeons into freedom; and, ultimately, help the Cuban people bring the Castro brother-butchers and all their despicable ilk to justice.

We will.

Cuba Libre!

McCotter Asks U.S. Ambassador to Urge China's Chief Religious Persecutor to Implement Reforms

U. S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom scheduled to meet today with China’s Director for the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA)



Washington, D.C. – In a letter to U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, John V. Hanford III, Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, and Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC) joined additional House colleagues to express their concerns over the Ambassador’s meeting scheduled today with Ye Xiaowen, communist China’s Director for the State Administrations for Religious Affairs (SARA). The letter urges Ambassador Hanford to insist that communist China implement reforms to end the religious persecution of its citizens, and immediately release its prisoners of conscience.

"As Director of SARA, Ye has implemented, overseen, and assisted authorities in carrying out communist China’s systematic policy for discrimination, harassment, imprisonment, torture, and execution of Chinese citizens practicing their faith outside the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) dictates," the letter states. "Recently, under Ye’s leadership, communist China has increased its persecution of Chinese religious believers."


For "the best interest of the United States and religious freedom around the world," the letter encourages Ambassador Hanford to insist that SARA and communist China end their practice of:


**requiring all house churches to register with the government;

**prohibiting the public expression and practice of religious beliefs (as established in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which China is an original party);

**restricting the printing and distribution of the Bible and other religious literature;

**restricting religious education for children under the age of 18 years; and

**designating religious groups as cults and thus causing them to become targets for government-sponsored violence, torture, and execution.

"While these reforms are urgently needed, simple promises from Ye and the communist Chinese Government will likely do little to stop communist China’s state-sponsored discrimination, harassment, imprisonment, torture, and execution of the Chinese people for practicing their religious faith," the letter states. "To hold communist China accountable for their persecution, please request that they allow impartial international or United States’ observers to verify the steps taken or not taken by their government."

Even Stimulus Didn't Help Approval Ratings

It is a solid step toward preventing a national recession. Interestingly, however, after the passage of this bi-partisan legislation which returned tax dollars to American families, the public gave Congress a record low approval rating. Let’s hope some members don’t re-think their commitment to civility and bi-partisanship.

McCotter Statement on Passage of Economic Stimulus Package

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI- 11), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, today issued the following statement after attending the president’s bill signing ceremony of H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus for American People Act of 2008 at the White House:

"Today Congress and the President banned together and passed bi-partisan legislation which returns to taxpayers their hard earned money to help them through this difficult economic time."


"This is a bi-partisan economic growth package, not a government growth package. It will strengthen family budgets across the country, especially in Michigan where we have suffered economically far longer and more painfully than the nation as a whole."

"Of course, this bill is but a step in the right direction, and more must be done to bolster America’s economic opportunities and prosperity."

The economic stimulus package, H.R. 5140, provides a temporary relief to jump start the economy. It required a two-thirds majority vote for passage in the House. It gained Senate approval last week.

The bill provides rebates of $300 to $1,200 for an estimated 130 million American families. Tax relief is also included for small businesses, and housing assistance. It is expected to provide over $152 billion back into the economy this year. Over 4.5 million Michigan residents will qualify for rebates. Michigan has the nation’s highest unemployment rate in the nation, teetering at 7.5 percent, with 383,000 unemployed workers.


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The 2008 CPAC Conference: These kids are alright

While appearing as a panelist at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), I was heartened to see so many young conservatives in attendance.

I was not swept with nostalgic sentiment for my youth as a nascent Reaganite, though those days were filled with excitement and exploits – a few of which can be recounted in polite company. What struck me was the prescience of modern conservatism’s intellectual founder, Russell Kirk. Today, as this generation of young conservatives embarks upon their service to America, I hope they will be inspired and guided by Kirk’s caution to my Generation X conservatives, many of whom did not heed his wisdom:

“…all ideologies work mischief. I am fortified by a letter from an influential and seasoned conservative publicist, who applauds my excoriation of young ideologues fancying themselves to be conservatives, and of young conservatives fondly hoping to convert themselves into ideologues. This latter correspondent agrees with me that ideology is founded merely upon ‘ideas’ – that is, upon abstractions, fancies, for the most part unrelated to personal and social reality; while conservative views are founded upon custom, convention, the long experience of the human species. He finds himself confronted, from time to time, by young people, calling themselves conservative, who have no notion of prudence, temperance, compromise, the traditions of civility, or cultural patrimony.”

Again, he is talking about my Generation X conservatives.

Read on . . .

“‘The woods are full of these creatures,’ this gentleman writes. ‘The conservative ‘movement’ seems to have reared up a new generation of rigid ideologists. It distresses me to find them as numerous and in so many institutions. Of course, many are libertarians, not conservatives. Whatever they call themselves, they are bad for the country and our civilization. Theirs is a cold-blooded, brutal view of life.’

“Amen to that…

“The triumph of ideology would be what Edmund Burke called ‘the antagonist world’ – the world of disorder; while what the conservative seeks to conserve is the world of order that we have inherited, if in a damaged condition, from our ancestors. The conservative mind and the ideological mind stand at opposite poles. And the contest between those two mentalities may be no less strenuous in the twenty-first century than it has been during the twentieth. Possibly [these words] may be of help to those of the rising generation who have the courage to oppose ideological zealots.”

Unlike so many of my own generation, I trust the inspiring youths of this rising generation of conservatives will take Kirk’s advice to heart; fulfill their noble role in our troubled world; and redeem our tortured times. For while daunting, I know they will embrace and transcend the challenge in the virtuous spirit of Rupert Brooke’s verse:

Now, God be thanked,
Who has matched us with His hour,
And caught our youth,
And wakened us from sleeping….

To learn more about Russell Kirk read The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot or visit www.kirkcenter.org

- Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI) is chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.