Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R–SC) highlighted three national security provisions advanced by the committee and included in the final version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the Senate 77–20 and was signed into law by President Trump.
In an interview with Fox Business, Scott emphasized the importance of maintaining an aggressive economic posture toward the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), warning against U.S. capital flows that could fund adversarial regimes. He framed the NDAA as a strategic tool to secure America’s technological and industrial edge in areas like artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
The three provisions highlighted include:
- The Protect Our Bases Act — Updates the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) process by requiring regular updates to federal records of sensitive sites and mandating annual reporting. The bill responds to a 2022 attempted land purchase near Grand Forks Air Force Base by a Chinese-owned company.
- Extension of the Defense Production Act (DPA) — Reauthorizes the DPA to expand industrial capacity during national emergencies and codifies core defense production functions to strengthen domestic supply chains.
- The FIGHT China Act — Establishes an outbound investment screening process to restrict or require notification of U.S. investments in sensitive technologies in China. The provision includes transparency measures and targeted exemptions to mitigate national security risks.
Scott framed these provisions as essential to “positioning America for the long run” and countering China’s long-term strategic ambitions. The press release links to a Fox Business interview where Scott elaborates on these themes.