By Rep. John Joyce No band of strangers has faced a decision more monumental than the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. For these men and women, a seemingly ordinary flight on a Tuesday morning became an unimaginable battle between good and evil. They didn't set out to be heroes, but the moment chose them. In a matter of minutes, the crew and passengers of Flight 93 changed the course of our nation's history -- and the history of Somerset County. As a team, they triumphed over evil -- sacrificing themselves to prevent further acts of terror, defend our country, and protect their fellow Americans. In Shanksville, President George W. Bush once said, "What happened above this Pennsylvania field was among the most courageous acts in American history." In laying down their own lives to save others, these men and women embodied the true spirit of America -- and the best of America. On this solemn anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Americans recall the importance of our national unity in the midst of tragedy. Together we remember the selfless sacrifices made aboard Flight 93, as well as the heroic actions of the police and first responders in Shanksville, New York City, and at the Pentagon. We remember the nearly 3,000 precious lives lost in that day's malicious attacks on our nation, and we remember the life of every American hero who since has given their life to protect our safety and our freedom. Now 19 years since Flight 93 came to its final rest in Shanksville, we remain resolved that the American people must never forget what transpired there. The people of Somerset County are proud to serve as stewards of the hallowed ground where the journey of Flight 93 came to an end. Each year, "America's County" welcomes thousands of visitors who travel to Shanksville to honor the 40 men and women whose names are engraved at the memorial. Each time that I visit Shanksville, I am newly struck by the magnitude of what was accomplished by those aboard Flight 93. The Flight 93 Memorial is a tremendous tribute to these heroes -- and it also serves as an ever-present reminder that freedom is fragile. Our freedom is worth fighting for -- regardless of the cost. Nearly two decades after 9/11, it is my honor to represent Shanksville in the U.S. House of Representatives and to ensure that the legacy of Flight 93 remains at the forefront of our approach to national security. It is imperative that we continue to protect America from foreign threats, and I am proud to serve as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which was established in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. From fortifying our defense against ISIS to strengthening America's cybersecurity, I am working to protect Americans from our enemies. Last year, my legislation to bolster the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming, bipartisan support. We have made progress, and yet more work remains. President Donald Trump is an incredible leader and partner in this pursuit. Under President Trump's leadership, the U.S. has defeated ISIS' territorial caliphate. As our Commander-in-Chief, he directed an operation that brought ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi to justice and ordered a decisive strike against Qassem Soleimani -- a terrorist responsible for the deaths and wounding of thousands of Americans. Today, the American people are safer because of the heroic actions of Americans in the Middle East, in Washington, D.C., and yes -- in Shanksville. We are resilient and we are united, bound together by the commitment of the heroes who came before us. Our union, which was forged and strengthened amidst adversity, will never be broken. The immeasurable sacrifices of our patriots will never be forgotten, and Americans will never be divided. As a nation, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to liberty and to one another. We will never forget the heroes of Flight 93 and -- together -- we will preserve their legacy.

By Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. John Joyce It's been a long time coming, but more and more Americans are waking up to the threat of Chinese influence in our technology. This is a reality we must face as a nation and one we need to get a handle on before it's too late. The FBI is currently investigating more than 1,000 cases of Chinese technology theft. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently highlighted the dangers of TikTok, a popular video-sharing platform that has gained influence with young Americans. While the lip-syncing videos on TikTok may appear harmless, this company's data harvesting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, is far from innocuous. The CCP's ever-expanding influence in global technology poses a grave threat to America and our allies every single day. And yet this isn't a new problem. For years, the Chinese government has stolen data and information as it seeks to achieve global dominance in technology and military capabilities. More than a decade ago, Chinese hackers targeted Google, Adobe and other high-profile tech firms to steal intellectual property and personal data. Though it wasn't the first cyberattack to originate in China, "Operation Aurora" demonstrated the severity of this threat back in 2009. As brazen as that breach was, China continued to up the ante. A series of high-profile cyberattacks on major international retailers and U.S. defense contractors was followed by a devastating 2014-15 breach of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Communist China got its hands on the records of 19 million Americans who had applied for national security jobs -- a document trove said to be the "crown jewels" of spycraft. The federal government's response was insufficient, and the CCP escalated their attacks and fine-tuned their methods even further. American institutions are targeted by these sophisticated attacks daily as the CCP looks to steal our intellectual property, our state secrets and our personal information. The coronavirus crisis, fueled by the CCP's lies at the onset of the outbreak, has further exposed these threats. The CCP threatened to withhold medical supplies as well as certain pharmaceutical ingredients that are used to manufacture critical medicines Americans rely on and use regularly. And the Department of Homeland Security has caught Chinese-affiliated hackers attempting to steal U.S. research on a coronavirus vaccine. While cases of this virus continue to grow across the country, Americans are eagerly looking toward our science and technology leaders for a solution. As researchers work on finding effective treatments and developing a coronavirus vaccine, the U.S. must protect this research from China and other bad actors across the globe. China's more recent technological power not only endangers America's national security, it also poses a serious threat to the human rights of Chinese citizens and freedom-loving people around the world. Communist governments do not tolerate any form of dissent, and Beijing routinely uses technology to surveil, silence and threaten its critics. Huawei, another company with ties to the Chinese government, regularly comes under fire for its blatant disregard of human rights. Time and time again, the CCP has demonstrated it will use malicious tactics to exert its power and to hide its missteps from the world. The CCP has managed to fuel its own technological abilities by using cyberattacks that stranglehold their targets. And it's time we push back on the power grabs and address the reality of these threats by Communist China. We cannot cede any further ground to this hostile regime. In Congress, we have presented commonsense solutions that address overreach by the CCP. As members of the China Task Force, we are working to expose the CCP's interference in our technology and develop pragmatic solutions to bolster our defenses. Our team is working on proposals that will secure American research and punish bad actors who steal intellectual property paid for by American taxpayers. Additionally, the China Task Force is focused on equipping our scientists to win the race to 5G and remove Chinese telecom infrastructure from the United States. To achieve lasting progress, America must continue and expand its prohibition of dangerous technologies originating from China, like Huawei and ZTE, and create incentives for our allies to follow suit. In the 21st century, the United States simply cannot afford to fall behind China's technology momentum. For the sake of our national security and the good of the American people, we must once again lead in innovation and ensure security for our telecommunications.

By Rep. John Joyce As our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic and its vast economic and health ramifications, we cannot ignore the dangers of another public health crisis wrought at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. For far too long, China has been the largest primary source for fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked directly into the United States. This deadly drug, 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, can kill in tiny traces -- a terrifying reality facing nearly every neighborhood in America. This crisis hits close to home. In recent years, fentanyl originating in China has made its way to my community in central Pennsylvania -- spurring addiction, harming families, and killing too many of my patients, friends and neighbors. Just last week, law enforcement raided a "stash house" in my hometown of Altoona, Pa., and apprehended two drug dealers, 27 bricks of heroin, and 153 grams of fentanyl. This bust, though modest, has the potential to save a number of lives; at the same time, we know that Chinese-produced fentanyl remains on the streets, ready to kill. Pennsylvanians aren't alone in this fight. Every day, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose, many victims of illicit drugs that have been trafficked into our nation from China. The opioid crisis has taken a tangible toll, touching every aspect of American communities from the workforce to the education system and law enforcement capacity. Oftentimes, fentanyl produced in China is shipped to countries like Mexico and trafficked by sinister drug cartels before arriving in our communities. Or, Chinese producers -- unchecked by safety regulations -- send fentanyl directly through the U.S. Postal Service. At international mail facilities, illicit drugs can arrive disguised in generic drug packaging, stashed in plastic flip flops, or brazenly packaged in plain sight. Unfortunately, due to longstanding resource shortages and capacity issues, too many of these packages have fallen through the cracks, opening a gateway to our nation's opioid crisis. After years of federal inaction, President Donald Trump and Congress have made significant strides to end the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into American communities. In addition to support for President Trump's robust border security agenda, Congress passed landmark legislation to combat the opioid crisis and offer hope to American families. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 took a comprehensive approach to tackling this crisis, providing bipartisan and pragmatic solutions spanning prevention and education to treatment and enforcement. To combat the pervasive fentanyl trafficking in our own postal system, the legislation included the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which bolsters the efforts of agents at our international mail facilities to intercept illicit drugs and prevent them from reaching Americans. These legislative solutions are a substantial step in the right direction, and Congress must ensure that this legislation is implemented as it was intended. We also must work together to enact additional solutions. On the China Task Force, we recognize the Chinese Communist Party's leading role in the opioid crisis, and we are taking on this regime's callous disregard of American lives and livelihoods. The China Task Force is pursuing legislative solutions to increase America's diligence of illicit drugs, as well as to identify and sanction the CCP officials responsible for the deluge of Chinese-manufactured fentanyl into the United States. As we have learned, America cannot stand idly by as our neighbors and loved ones fall prey to the Chinese government-sponsored opioid crisis. The China Task Force is taking steps to bolster our nation's national security and hold the CCP accountable for its actions. We will not allow Chinese fentanyl to continue claiming lives and wreaking havoc on America's streets.