Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA) introduced the Prioritizing Readiness and Competitiveness (PRC) Act, which would reroute any unobligated, appropriated funds related to maintaining a military presence in Afghanistan and supporting the Afghan government or military toward great power competition with the People’s Republic of China. Rubio announced the bill in an op-ed for The American Conservative.
“The Biden Administration promises the chaotic end to America’s longest war will allow us to focus resources on our competition with China, but once again he has absolutely no plan,” Rubio said. “My Prioritizing Readiness and Competitiveness (PRC) Act is the blueprint America needs. It will redirect funds previously meant for Afghanistan to areas toward bolstering programs that matter. We cannot compete with the Chinese Communist Party unless we invest in American research, American industry, and American naval power.”
“Following President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, it is critical we stop taxpayer dollars from being funneled to the Taliban regime,” Hinson said. “That’s why Senator Marco Rubio and I introduced the Prioritizing Readiness and Competitiveness Act, legislation that would redirect U.S. aid away from the now defunct Afghanistan government and put those dollars toward what should be our top national security priority: countering Communist China. Until President Trump took office, we sat on our hands as China built up a 21st Century war machine and strategically overtook critical supply chains. We can’t let the progress made under the last Administration go to waste; we must act aggressively to counter the Chinese Communist Party now. Redirecting this funding to bolster our military capabilities against China in the Indo-Pacific, invest in U.S. industries, and shore up domestic supply chains is the perfect opportunity to put our money where our mouth is and meaningfully combat the Chinese Communist Party’s destructive behavior.”
Specifically, the Prioritizing Readiness and Competitiveness (PRC) Act directs these funds equally into three separate accounts:
- Defense Production Act Purchases Account for supporting domestic manufacturing and supply chain resiliency in strategic industries critical to national security;
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for research and development projects related to strengthening the United States’ global advantage in strategic technologies; and
- U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding account.