WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott announced several amendments to the Endless Frontier Act  that he will introduce to hold Communist China accountable, improve national security, secure our supply chains and protect American interests.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Since being elected to the Senate just two years ago, I’ve been clear that the threat posed by Communist China is the most significant national security issue facing the United States. Communist China’s actions over this short time have made abundantly clear that the United States is in a new Cold War with Communist China.

“I’ve sponsored and supported more than 40 pieces of legislation focused on addressing the security of our supply chains, holding Communist China fully responsible for its disgusting human rights abuses and genocide against Uyghur Muslims, enhancing our ability to innovate and develop new technology and countering Beijing’s unfair trade practices. As it stands, much of the Endless Frontier Act will not effectively counter Communist China’s aggression. A slush fund to universities with little security and oversight isn’t the answer. That’s why I’m filing these critical amendments to secure American innovation, protect our national security, hold Communist China accountable and put American interests first. That is where our legislative efforts must begin.”

Senator Scott’s amendments to the Endless Frontier Act include:

• Protecting national security and American innovation by increasing security and oversight of who can qualify to receive National Science Foundation grant funding and providing an enhanced role for the Director of National Intelligence to certify compliance from a national security perspective. Research developed through the programs created in this bill, using American taxpayer dollars, must be kept secure and American innovation must not fall into the hands of our adversaries.
• Holding Communist China accountable for COVID-19 by requiring the National Science Foundation to establish a federal committee to research the origins of COVID-19. The American people deserve an independent investigation into the origins of this virus in order to prevent something like this from happening again and hold Communist China accountable for its failures.
• Securing critical U.S. defense facilities by prohibiting Chinese intrusion into U.S. power systems. This amendment prevents Chinese-made bulk power systems from being used to deliver power at any critical defense facilities.
• Protecting American taxpayer dollars by diverting unobligated funds from the Democrats’ wasteful so-called “COVID” bill, the American Rescue Plan Act, to pay for the authorized funding in the Endless Frontier Act.
• Ensuring states are treated equally by allocating the funds in this bill to higher education institutions based on state population.
• Senator Scott’s Keep China Out of Solar Energy Act to prohibit Federal funds from being used to buy solar panels manufactured or assembled in Communist China, specifically the Xinjiang province, which is known for its use of forced labor.
• Senator Scott’s Entity List Verification Act to protect America’s national security by requiring the Secretary of Commerce to provide certification to Congress before an entity on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List is removed.
• Senator Scott’s Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act to reinforce the U.S.-Taiwan relationship and strengthen Taiwan’s ability to resist Communist China’s aggressive policies and military actions.

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