Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced his legislation to prohibit the Department of Defense and other federal agencies from contracting with consulting firms, like McKinsey & Company, which provides services to the Chinese government or its affiliates while being contracted by the United States government. The Time to Choose Act would force these firms to choose whether to stand with the U.S. in its efforts to protect America against China’s global ambitions, or forfeit U.S. government contracts entirely.
This bipartisan legislation passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with strong bipartisan support in the 118th Congress. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are both original cosponsors.
“For too long, these companies have basked in the financial security of government contracts while actively undermining our own national security,” said Senator Hawley. “It is unconscionable that we’ve allowed them to sell us out to the Chinese Communist Party by advancing their agenda rather than putting America’s interests first. My bill would bring that to an end.”
“The Chinese Communist Party is actively working to undermine our country at every turn,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would prohibit companies that are providing consulting services to the Chinese government from receiving highly competitive government contracts, paid for by American taxpayers, to protect both our national security and our competitive edge in the global economy.”
“Any firm who wants to help, support or represent Communist China’s best interests clearly is choosing to work against America’s best interests and choosing to forfeit access to federal tax dollars. It’s a clear conflict of interest,” said Senator Scott. “The Chinese Communist Party is one of our greatest adversaries, hellbent on destroying our way of life, crippling our industries and spying on our citizens. Our bill, the Time to Choose Act, requires firms to make a choice: support the freedom-loving United States or support the regime in Communist China. There’s no in between.”
The Time to Choose Act would:
- Prohibit federal agencies from contracting with consulting firms that hold a contract with the Chinese government and other foreign adversaries.
- Impose penalties on consulting firms that intentionally hide or misrepresent contracts with the Chinese government and other foreign adversaries, including:
- Terminating affected federal contracts.
- Debarring relevant firms from future work with the federal government.
- Requiring relevant firms to pay damages equivalent to three times the amount spent by the U.S. government on the contracts.
- Terminating affected federal contracts.
Read the full bill text here.