The House unanimously passed a resolution that condemned the Chinese spy balloon that hovered over the U.S. last week before being shot down by an F-22 fighter jet.
Lawmakers voted 419-0 to pass the measure that criticizes China for its “brazen violation of United States sovereignty” and denounces the Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to deceive the global community with disinformation.
Fifteen lawmakers, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, did not cast a vote on the resolution. His absence raised eyebrows among critics of Mr. Swalwell, a California Democrat who has been romantically linked to a Chinese spy.
He has denied any wrongdoing in his relationship in 2019 with the alleged spy named Fang Fang.
The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, also urges the Biden administration to continue having a dialogue with Congress over Chinese infiltration.
The balloon raised national concerns across party lines. Republicans have sought to make Chinese aggression a key priority in their agenda.
Rep. Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin Republican, said the resolution is meant to send a message to the country’s national security and intelligence community to strengthen its scrutiny of China.
“Are they paying attention to our chief adversary and what they’re up to?” Mr. Tiffany said. “While [the resolution] is symbolic, I think it’s a good first message to them to let them know that we are concerned about their performance.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.