China has long been on Barr's radar and the Lexington Republican has now successfully penned a pair of new bills meant to counter the country's communist leadership.
One seeks $325 million annual for the next three years to respond to the country's disinformation and spotlight a major Chinese infrastructure project affecting three continents. The second would mandate the State Department notify Congress of any science and technology agreements with China, with an eye towards stopping the country from using the deals to access sensitive technology.
In October, Barr told WUKY he sees China's aspirations as a unique threat.
"The Chinese Communist Party... they've made it clear their objective is to replace the United States as the world's global superpower by 2049, and I would argue they're ahead of schedule in many in many categories," he said.
Barr, who is vying to become chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he's eager to help in "preparing our economy and our country for a multi-decade competition."
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that critics worry the first bill could lead to the U.S. government engaging in propaganda efforts similar to those it condemns in other countries.
Both bills received bipartisan support in the House, but their fate is less certain in the Senate.