Scott: 'Not One Penny' From Taxpayers Should go to China

With China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) becoming more and more of a threat every day to Americans, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) has sent a letter to the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, Peggy Gustafson, “urging oversight of the agency’s grants process regarding the CHIPS and Science Act” looking to ensure that U.S. tax dollars do not go to the CCP.

Prior to sending the letter, Sen. Scott questioned the Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger in the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and how the company would respond to a CCP invasion of Taiwan.

“Regrettably, Mr. Gelsinger doubled down on his commitments to continue operating in Communist China and he was unable to directly answer questions about how grants to companies, like intel, would achieve a real return on investment with taxpayers’ dollars,” according to the Scott press release.

In the letter, Scott mentions the response from the Intel CEO Gelsinger and his approach to the possible Taiwan invasion, writing “not one penny from the American taxpayer should go toward benefiting economic growth in Communist China.”

“Additionally, in response to my questions about what his company’s reaction would be to an invasion of Taiwan by the Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Gelsinger doubled down on his commitments to continue operating in Communist China for the foreseeable future. This is unacceptable and shows a blatant disregard for the interests of American taxpayers. If taxpayer funds are granted to companies and they continue to make “material expansion” in Communist China, it is your duty to claw back all investments,” said the Florida Senator. “I urge your office to closely monitor how the Commerce Department defines “material expansion” to ensure a narrow definition to prevent any taxpayer subsidizing investments in Communist China. Ultimately, not one penny from the American taxpayer should go toward benefiting economic growth in Communist China.”

He also states that it is unacceptable that nearly “90% of all applications for exports of sensitive technologies to Communist China have been approved by the Commerce Department…We cannot continue to support the long-term ambitions of global dominance by the Chinese Communist Party in the name of short-term commercial gain.”

Earlier this year, the Chinese Government threatened to invade Taiwan if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) set foot on the island. She did, and the Chinese did not invade.