TAMPA, FLORIDA— House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford (AR-01) and House Intelligence Committee Member Representative Greg Steube (FL-17) hosted a roundtable discussion at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, with federal, state, and private-sector partners on the growing counterintelligence threats from the Chinese Communist Party to the state of Florida. 

Chairman Crawford and Rep. Steube were joined by members of the Florida delegation, Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14).

Roundtable briefers included Wes Street, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and senior leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Florida National Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

The event consisted of a classified and an unclassified portion focused on the importance of the collective effort at the federal, state, and local levels to detect, deter, and disrupt the counterintelligence threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party in the U.S. homeland, and specifically in Florida.

This is the third roundtable event that Chairman Crawford has hosted across the country, focused on convening federal, state, and local officials with private-sector partners to discuss a renewed response to counterintelligence threats. This effort is part of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s aggressive work to reform the U.S. counterintelligence apparatus that is failing to take an offensive posture to combat the pervasive threats we face in the homeland today.

“Florida is home to many leading U.S. industries, including agriculture, aerospace, advanced technology, ports, and more,” said Chairman Crawford. “This makes Florida a valuable piece of the U.S. economy and national security, but also makes the state a glaring target for adversary intelligence threats, most notably by the Chinese Communist Party. The homeland has become a contested environment, and it stands to reason that our adversaries would be prepping the battlefield for whatever operations they plan to undertake. I am grateful to the members of the Florida delegation who joined us for this important discussion.”

“It was a pleasure to participate in today’s panel with House Intel Committee Chairman Rick Crawford in Tampa to discuss the growing counterintelligence threats the Chinese Communist Party poses to Florida,” said Rep. Greg Steube. “As we discussed today, the CCP is actively working to undermine American security and expand its influence inside our country. Florida’s critical infrastructure and strategic importance make it a high value target, placing our state on the front lines. We must proactively address these threats in a forceful and unified manner.”

“China remains a prominent threat to our national security, and Florida is on the front lines. The CCP’s intelligence services are actively targeting Florida’s most critical industries, including advanced aerospace, satellite and military technologies, and agriculture,” said Rep. Cammack. “As Chairwoman of the Emerging Tech Task Force, I have taken aggressive steps to strengthen our nation’s counterintelligence capabilities to confront foreign intelligence threats operating within our homeland. I thank Chairman Crawford for his leadership on this issue and remain committed to advancing solutions to counter these threats. I refuse to watch the CCP’s intelligence services threaten our national security, and I will never stop fighting to protect Florida and our country.”

“No single agency has all the necessary authorities, resources, and expertise to effectively counter threats from adversaries. Because Florida—with 21 military bases, 3 combatant commands, and the world’s busiest space port hub—sits on the front line of the counterintelligence fight, working together across federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and public/private sectors is essential. By collaborating, we can identify, detect, report, deter, investigate, exploit, and neutralize foreign intelligence efforts against the American people. I appreciate the perspectives brought to the table today and thank Chairman Crawford and Rep. Steube for facilitating this crucial discussion as we modernize and unify our approach in the counterintelligence fight,” said NCSC Director Wes Street.

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