US Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban Chinese Researchers From National Labs

‘Make no mistake, Beijing is actively exploiting weak security protocols,’ Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) walks through the Senate Subway after a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 5, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation that would block national laboratories from admitting citizens of foreign adversaries, particularly those from communist China.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on March 11 amid growing concerns in Washington over intellectual property theft and espionage activities supported by Beijing.