"Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today was selected by Speaker-elect McCarthy to chair the Select Committee on China," the release said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, McCarthy and Gallagher wrote an opinion-editorial (op-ed) in which they announced plans to establish a panel in the new Congress to push against the rise of China.
"We must recognize that China’s ‘peaceful rise’ was pure fiction and finally confront the CCP with the urgency the threat demands," the two congressmen said in the op-ed.
Both McCarthy and Gallagher said they believe the United States is in a Cold War with China and Washington must respond with tough policies aimed at strengthening the economy, rebuilding supply chains and ending the alleged theft of US intellectual property and jobs in order to emerge victorious.
In his statement following his selection, Gallagher pointed out that the China poses the greatest threat to the United States, adding that the new committee will push back in a bipartisan fashion "before it’s too late."
Republicans are expected to hold a slim 222-seat majority in the House of Representatives when the new Congress begins its work in January. McCarthy needs to reach 218 votes to become the new speaker.