Republicans seek to toughen anti-China bill, focus spending on countering CCP amid price tag concerns

The Endless Frontier Act is being welcomed by many in both parties in Congress as a long overdue effort to combat China in technology, manufacturing and on other fronts. But a pair of concerns are forcing some Republicans to make a tough choice on whether to support the bill, the current version of which costs about $130 billion but will soon be subject to a litany of potential amendments on the Senate floor.

On the other hand, some Republicans see the topline price tag of the bill not exactly as a deal breaker but as an indication that there could be some waste inside the legislation, which was termed by the House-based Republican Study Committee as the "endless pork act."  "As it stands, much of the Endless Frontier Act will not effectively counter Communist China’s aggression. A slush fund to universities with little security and oversight isn’t the answer," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said on Tuesday. "That’s why I’m filing these critical amendments to secure American innovation, protect our national security, hold Communist China accountable and put American interests first."