US House votes to condemn China over balloon surveillance
The U.S. House voted unanimously Thursday to condemn the Beijing government for its balloon surveillance program
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Thursday to condemn China's balloon surveillance program as a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty, a rare and swift bipartisan rebuke of Beijing as questions mount about the craft the U.S. says was part of a vast aerial spy program.
The 419-0 action came as lawmakers clamoring for information about the balloon that flew across American skies were being briefed by U.S. officials in a classified session. The Senate also held a hearing Thursday about the balloon, which was shot down by the U.S. military last weekend.
“This resolution, I believe, sends a clear bipartisan signal to the CCP and our adversaries around the world that this action will not be tolerated,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
In a Congress riven by partisan splits, the shared anxiety over China's stealthy balloon surveillance program and the reach of the Beijing's global military and economic force provided an unusual opening for bipartisan agreement. The four-page resolution came together quickly, overcoming initial partisan divisions.
