Raja Krishnamoorthi

“I want Congress to pass this bill into law. It makes permanent a Justice Department task force that investigates and prosecutes trade crimes, especially from China. These crimes hurt American workers and businesses.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Raskin for yielding and Representative Hinson for supporting this incredibly important bill, H.R. 1869, the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act, also known as the PAIL Act. For years, the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, has violated U.S. trade laws and victimized American workers, companies, and consumers through trade crimes like dumping, duty evasion, and fraud. In fact, there is an entire industry in China that publicly boasts it can help Chinese products illegally flood the U.S. market despite antidumping protections that we have put in place in our laws. These criminal activities have forced far too many American companies to shutter their doors and countless American workers to lose their jobs. Due to bipartisan pressure, last year, the Trump administration established the Trade Fraud Task Force at the Department of Justice to criminally prosecute these crimes. Our bipartisan bill codifies the establishment of this task force and creates an oversight mechanism through annual reporting requirements to Congress. Whether it is dumping below-market iron and steel, flooding our market with illegal vapes, or violating the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, this Trade Fraud Task Force will send a clear message that these illegal trade practices must end now. I have been proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle on this legislation. I am also grateful to Ranking Member Raskin for his support in moving this bill through the Judiciary Committee this past year. We have come close to getting this particular piece of legislation passed and signed into law, but we haven’t yet done it. This year I am hoping we can finally cross the finish line. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to fully fund this legislation and make sure it is signed into law this Congress. We cannot put this off any longer. American workers and companies depend on it.”

“I oppose this bill. It is too weak because it still lets members of Congress trade certain stocks, and it is tied to a measure that makes it harder to vote. I want a vote on a different bipartisan bill that completely bans members of Congress, their spouses, and their children from trading stocks.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 7008. Mr. Speaker, I have helped lead bipartisan efforts to ban stock trading by Members of Congress, and I am deeply frustrated that the majority refuses to take the issue seriously enough at this crucial time when Congress’ stock is at an all-time low. We should not be playing partisan games on this. The Republican majority is pushing a bill that still allows Members of Congress to hold, sell, and even buy certain individual stocks. They have paired it with the SAVE America Act, a voter suppression measure, that would make it harder, not easier, for Americans to participate in our elections. I agree with Congressman Roy on this particular point that we should have an up-or-down vote on the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act, which we have all supported, which has over 200 signatures, I believe, as a discharge petition. It finally bans trading by Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children. Mr. Speaker, Congress is not a casino, and it is time we proved it.”

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