House Republicans are considering advancing must-pass defense legislation this week without a proposal to scrutinize US investments in China, hoping to hand the Trump administration a helpful tool for talks with Beijing.
“The plan was that the administration felt that the threat of an outbound investment bill was more useful in their negotiations with China than a final text,” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, told Semafor on Monday.
He added that the Senate, which is in the process of adding investment curbs to its National Defense Authorization Act, “jumped the shark.”
House Republicans could still add the language to a final version of the defense bill later this year — but for now, they’re keeping their options open.
“I can’t make any commitments right now to say where it will be, other than I feel like we’re getting on the same page,” Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., told Semafor.