WASHINGTON — Lawmakers returned to Washington this week eager to tackle outstanding questions about a Chinese spy balloon’s journey across the U.S. and what it means for the broader relationship between the U.S. and China.
Republicans, who have made competition with China a cornerstone of their agenda in the 118th Congress, say the balloon’s incursion illustrates the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and the need for congressional action.
“It has a way of hammering home the threat, reminding people that this isn’t an over-there threat. It’s a right-here-at-home threat,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the newly created select committee on China. “We had a massive spy balloon transiting lazily over the United States.”
