{"id":42721,"date":"2026-03-26T05:50:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T09:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/senators-push-bill-blocking-federal-agencies-from-using-chinese-made-robots\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T05:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T09:50:46","slug":"senators-push-bill-blocking-federal-agencies-from-using-chinese-made-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/senators-push-bill-blocking-federal-agencies-from-using-chinese-made-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"Senators Push Bill Blocking Federal Agencies from Using Chinese-Made Robots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"290\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774518645765.jpg?resize=450%2C290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774518645765.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774518645765.jpg?resize=300%2C193&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>A bipartisan pair of senators announced Thursday their intention to propose legislation that would prevent federal agencies from purchasing or operating humanoid robots manufactured by Chinese companies.<\/p><p>Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who holds the third-highest Republican leadership position in the Senate, and New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the chamber&#8217;s top Democrat, are set to present the American Security Robotics Act. The proposed legislation would prevent federal agencies from acquiring or utilizing unmanned ground vehicles produced by adversarial nations like China and would block federal funding for such robotic systems.<\/p><p>The proposed legislation emerges as Chinese manufacturers compete against American companies like Tesla in developing humanoid robots capable of performing various tasks, from hazardous industrial operations to domestic duties. Two Chinese companies, Agibot and Unitree, are reportedly preparing for public stock offerings in China this year as their robotic products gain market traction.<\/p><p>The senators expressed concerns Thursday that these robotic systems pose national security threats due to their potential for collecting information to transmit to China or being operated remotely from Chinese locations. Congressional members previously requested that the Pentagon include Unitree on its list of companies collaborating with China&#8217;s military forces.<\/p><p>&#8220;Robots made by Communist China threaten Arkansans&#8217; privacy and our national security,&#8221; Cotton stated.<\/p><p>Schumer explained that Chinese companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party &#8220;are running their standard playbook \u2013 this time in robotics \u2013 trying to flood the U.S. market with their technology, which presents real security risks and threats to Americans&#8217; privacy and American research and industry.&#8221;<\/p><p>The proposed legislation would include exceptions allowing military and law enforcement agencies to study Chinese robotic technology, provided the devices cannot send or receive information from China.<\/p><p>Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, planned to announce companion legislation in the House of Representatives on Thursday.<\/p><p>&#8220;We must continue to promote and propel America&#8217;s robotics superiority while safeguarding our privacy and national security from adversaries,&#8221; Stefanik stated.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bipartisan senators plan to introduce legislation preventing federal agencies from purchasing or operating humanoid robots manufactured by Chinese companies. The proposed American Security Robotics Act cites national security concerns over potential data collection and remote control capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":42720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774518645765.jpg?fit=450%2C290&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-b73","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54347,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chinese-robots-outrun-humans-in-beijing-marathon-technology-advances-rapidly\/","url_meta":{"origin":42721,"position":0},"title":"Chinese Robots Outrun Humans in Beijing Marathon, Technology Advances Rapidly","author":"Admin","date":"April 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 100 Chinese-made humanoid robots competed in a Beijing half-marathon on Sunday, with the winning robot finishing faster than the human world record holder. This marks a dramatic improvement from last year when most robots couldn't even complete the race.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776565338669.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":53943,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chinese-robots-face-ultimate-test-in-13-mile-half-marathon-challenge\/","url_meta":{"origin":42721,"position":1},"title":"Chinese Robots Face Ultimate Test in 13-Mile Half-Marathon Challenge","author":"Admin","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Over 300 humanoid robots will compete in China's second robot half-marathon on Sunday, with nearly 40% running autonomously compared to zero last year. The event showcases China's push to develop robotics as a major economic sector, though experts say the technology still faces significant challenges for real-world applications.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776475317612.jpg?fit=450%2C306&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":73104,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chinese-robotics-companies-steal-spotlight-at-tokyos-humanoid-robot-summit\/","url_meta":{"origin":42721,"position":2},"title":"Chinese Robotics Companies Steal Spotlight at Tokyo&#8217;s Humanoid Robot Summit","author":"Admin","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At the Humanoids Summit Tokyo, Chinese robotics firms dominated the showcase with affordable dancing robots and advanced mechanical hands, outpacing Japanese developers who pioneered the technology. Japanese companies like Honda and Toyota struggled to compete as Chinese newcomers have refined the original innovations for mass production at lower costs.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779966430915.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779966430915.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779966430915.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779966430915.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51308,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/advanced-robots-display-language-skills-and-combat-moves-at-hong-kong-tech-expo\/","url_meta":{"origin":42721,"position":3},"title":"Advanced Robots Display Language Skills and Combat Moves at Hong Kong Tech Expo","author":"Admin","date":"April 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 100 cutting-edge robots were featured at exhibitions in Hong Kong, demonstrating abilities from multilingual conversation to martial arts. 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