America is facing the 'threat of our lifetime': GOP lawmakers ramp up warnings about China

Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman provided insight into House Republicans' efforts to highlight the "depth and magnitude" of the threats posed by China. On "Fox & Friends" Wednesday, Wittman called China the "threat of our lifetime" and demanded immediate action.

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ROB WITTMAN: The point from yesterday's hearing was to really outline the depth and the magnitude that the Chinese Communist Party poses to the United States. We wanted to make sure we laid that out. The witnesses yesterday did a great job of that, to talk about every level of where it affects family security, their financial security, our national security, every aspect of life in America as we know it are things the Chinese Communist Party seeks to impact and negatively affect. … I think we have to get manufacturing back to the United States. I think we have to at every turn look at what they're doing, things like their insidious effort to influence the thoughts, ideas and views of our children through their applications and social media. Look at what they're doing to harm the United States in the world economy. At every turn, they're looking to not just displace the United States, but to harm us. We have to act and act now. This is the threat of our lifetime.

House Republicans returned from their President’s Day break with their eyes trained on China, holding several hearings addressing China’s economic and scientific prowess, its role in the spread of COVID, and its posture toward Taiwan.

The focus on China comes as bilateral tensions continue to boil over in the wake of a new government finding that COVID-19 was most likely the result of a lab leak in Wuhan, China, and the recent shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon over U.S. territory.

Republicans are expected to advance dozens of bill addressing China’s economic and scientific prowess, its role in the spread of COVID, its posture toward Taiwan, surveillance of Americans and currency manipulation.

Fox News' Peter Kasperowicz contributed to this report.