A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both chambers of Congress introduced the Investing in American Defense Technologies Act on May 4 to strengthen the United States’ competitiveness with China in advanced defense capabilities.
The bill—sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas)—will encourage private capital investment in small defense firms producing advanced capabilities such as hypersonics.
The bicameral bill aims to boost “cutting-edge defense technology production” and make the United States “more competitive” against rivals such as China, the lawmakers said in a press release.
“When it comes to maintaining the United States’ edge in advanced defense capabilities, we cannot afford to fall behind China,” Rosen said in the release.
Rosen said the bipartisan bill would encourage establishing a public–private partnership “to enable American defense-focused small businesses to succeed and scale their advanced technology innovations.”
The number of small defense-centric companies in the United States has shrunk by more than 40 percent in the past decade owing to a lack of private capital, stunting growth and innovation in the field, they stated.
Houlahan said the bill would not only bolster U.S. defense technology and capabilities against foreign adversaries, but also accelerate growth and support small American defense businesses.
“Strategic competition with our adversaries is a huge concern for American security, especially when it comes to the speed at which we are advancing our technologies,” Houlahan stated.
China Could Outgun US
By 2030, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is expected to field 1,000 nuclear weapons, many of which will be capable of carrying multiple warheads. The regime is working to field hypersonic bombardment systems designed to be used as a first-strike weapon.Such capabilities would put the United States at grave risk in a war and would present a decision-making dynamic among both militaries unseen since the Cold War.
Spalding said the United States wouldn’t be able to defeat China in a war over Taiwan because the CCP has “too many weapons, and they are too close to home.”
“The U.S. could not muster enough combat power to stop China,” he said.
The CCP views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with mainland China by any means necessary, even though Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and has its own democratic government.
Beijing staged three days of military drills around the self-ruled island on April 8 after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in California.
“The only weapons that would enable us to balance the conventional military might of China are nuclear weapons,” Spalding said. “These would give the U.S. a fighting chance but would be devastating for the U.S., China, and the world.
“Nevertheless, the surest way to war is to appear weak. This is why it is imperative that the U.S. project power. Today, the only way is with nuclear weapons. We don’t have time for anything else.”
