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A group that launched earlier this year is already active in the states, crafting policies that will protect Americans from the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign threats. Michael Lucci created State Armor and serves as its CEO. He wrote recently in RealClearDefense:

The State Armor network is already expansive, and we have seen legislative success even before official launch. Last spring, we supported Nebraska Democrat Senator Eliot Bostar in his efforts to pass gold standard legislation removing dangerous Huawei hardware from state telecom grids. Such hardware can be coopted by the CCP for surveillance and sabotage operations.

Currently, State Armor has more than a dozen model bills and three executive orders available for implementation in all states and targeted in the areas of critical infrastructure, military assets, supply chains, influence operations, and finances.

This is critical work. Our connected and mobile world has put states on the frontlines, whether it comes to rooting out influence operations or protecting critical infrastructure. Whatever anyone thinks about Congress or the federal executive branch, their powers are limited. So is their knowledge of local communities and issues. State governments are, in many cases, better positioned to meet current threats.

Lucci explains that State Armor’s “model legislation and executive orders not only aim to restrict China’s foothold in American states, but also strive to empower American and allied businesses to fill the economic void.” This is critical to the long term success of America and our allies, as both deterrence and defense rely on economic power.

State Armor’s goals are ambitious and also essential to America’s continued freedom and prosperity. They are to “protect America’s critical infrastructure, build supply chains of freedom, stop influence operations happening within our borders, and prepare states for any future conflict in the Pacific.”