Legislation to block Gotion, Inc. from collecting federal tax credits for a planned electric vehicle battery component plant in Michigan is now pending in both chambers of Congress.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., officially introduced the No Official Giveaways Of Taxpayers’ Income to Oppressive Nations Act on Tuesday, following Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar’s introduction of the same in the House last month.

The NO GOTION Act is bipartisan legislation aimed at prohibiting companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party from receiving green energy production tax credits under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

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Scott’s legislation is backed by Sens. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in the upper chamber, while Moolenaar’s bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Jared Golden, D-Maine, in the House.

“U.S. adversaries shouldn’t be allowed to benefit off American taxpayer dollars with incentives meant to build American businesses,” Scott said in a statement. “Americans elected us to represent their best interests, and I’m proud to do that with our NO GOTION Act to crack down on companies owned by our adversaries attempting to take advantage of U.S. tax privileges.”

“Why would we allow the hard-earned tax dollars of U.S. workers to be wasted lining the pockets of anti-American companies—all in the name of climate nonsense?” Banks questioned. “That sort of racket is the definition of America Last. I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill.”

Moolenaar explained that “right now there is a loophole that allows IRA tax credits to go to Chinese companies” and the NO GOTION Act “makes sure CCP-affiliated companies will not be able to receive tax credits.”

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“The United States is in competition with the CCP and under no circumstances should we be giving taxpayer money to Chinese companies,” he said.

Moolenaar has repeatedly introduced the NO GOTION Act in response to reports Gotion is assessing how the company can access green energy production tax credits for planned factories in Mecosta County’s Green Charter Township, and Kankakee, Ill.

Moolenaar chairs the House Select Committee on the CCP that uncovered evidence last year of Gotion’s close ties to the CCP, including the company’s reliance on forced labor in Xinjiang Province.

“Since 2016, the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has subjected Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) to genocide, state-imposed forced labor, and crimes against humanity,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Federal filings reveal Gotion is “wholly owned and controlled” by its China-based parent company, Gotion High-Tech, and is subsidized by the Chinese government.

Gotion is set to receive $715 million in state taxpayer subsidies through a secretly negotiated deal with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration to build a battery component plant about 88 miles south of Camp Grayling, Michigan’s National Guard base, and the company is eying further support from Washington.

While prominent Michigan Democrats including Whitmer and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin are strong supporters of the planned Gotion plant, Republicans including President Donald Trump and the vast majority of local residents are adamantly opposed.

“The Gotion plant would be very bad for the State and our Country,” Trump posted to Truth Social in August. “It would put Michiganders under the thumb of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. I AM 100% OPPOSED!”

Public polling on the project shows most local residents share that sentiment, with many concerned about national security, environmental impacts, the secret negotiations for taxpayer subsidies, and other issues.

A survey conducted by the Big Rapids Pioneer news site in early January resulted in the vast majority of reader submissions to the online poll voting “no” for Gotion in Green Charter Township.

A whopping 7,605 out of 8,786 reader submissions opposed the Gotion facility, while only 1,172 backed the company. The results equate to nearly 87% of respondents opposed, and a little over 13% in support, figures that largely align with an informal Moolenaar survey of constituents a year prior that showed 91% opposed.

Other polls highlighted by the Mecosta Environmental & Security Alliance last year also showed overwhelming opposition.

While the project remains mired in litigation, recent local reports suggest Gotion officials may finally be getting the message.

The company’s lease for an abandoned JC Penny’s store that was never occupied has expired, while local sources contend about 20 employees who worked for Gotion no longer do.

There also have been no applications from Gotion for a required environmental impact study of the site, where no significant work has been completed.

Gotion stopped attending its requested weekly meetings with Big Rapids officials, and all three municipalities that originally authorized tax incentives for the project – Big Rapids Township, Green Charter Township, and Mecosta County – have since reversed course.

“When 92% of the Mecosta County residents opposed the Chinese battery plant in our community, the board of commissioners should have listened,” newly elected board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said when he was sworn in last month. “When our congressman says there are security concerns with China in our community, the board of commissioners should have reversed their approval of the project.”

Within minutes of taking office, the new Mecosta County board voted 5-2 to rescind Resolution 2023-04, which stated the prior commission’s support for Gotion.

“All four of us opposed Gotion and we hope the passage of this resolution will help heal the divide in our community,” Zimmerman said, referring to commissioners elected on opposition to Gotion.

“Moreover, as long as the four of us are on the commission, we will no longer ignore the will of the people,” he said to applause.