February 8, 2023
Contact: Brooke Aghakhan
baghakha@gmu.edu
703-993-5620

David Hanke, NSI Fellow, Selected as Staff Director of New House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party

Arlington, VA – On Feb. 8, 2023, Congressman Mike Gallagher, Chair of the newly-established U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, named Dave Hanke, NSI Fellow, to be the new Staff Director of the Select Committee. Chairman Gallagher, who served for seven years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq, and holds a doctorate in International Relations from Georgetown, was selected by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to lead the new Select Committee and continues to serve on the House Armed Services Committee the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Chairman Gallagher also served as the Co-Chairman of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission from 2019-2021.

“This committee’s work to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s ideological, economic, and military aggression is perhaps the most important task of our generation, and will require a team that understands just how critical this mission is. Dave comes to the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party with a breadth of experience navigating Washington and a deep understanding of how to best fight the malign influence of the CCP,” said Rep. Gallagher. “He’s truly a first-round draft pick, and I look forward to working with Dave and the team we assemble to protect America’s national security and sovereignty from the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”

Prior to being appointed to his new position, Mr. Hanke was a Partner at the law firm of ArentFox Schiff, where he advised clients on legal and policy issues at the intersection of business and national security, such as foreign investment screening by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), strategic technology policy, supply chains, and U.S.-China competition. While serving as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and as Counsel for National Security Affairs to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), then-Senate Majority Whip, Mr. Hanke was the staff architect of key bipartisan legislation aimed at countering the Chinese Communist Party.  These included the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), the most sweeping overhaul of CFIUS in its 44-year history, as well as the Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2019.

Mr. Hanke also served on active duty in the U.S. Army for three years as a JAG officer in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and like Congressman Gallagher, deployed to Iraq for 11 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

“It is a real honor to be joining Chairman Gallagher’s team, and he is the absolute right leader to take on this significant and complex challenge. It is time to instill a laser focus and greater sense of urgency in US policymaking on China, as the CCP is wasting no time in seeking to undermine the U.S. and displace us as the dominant global superpower,” said Mr. Hanke.

“Dave is a terrific pick to serve as staff director of this critically important new select committee chaired by Congressman Mike Gallagher,” said Jamil N. Jaffer, Founder & Executive Director of the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.  “Working with Chairman Gallagher, a leading member of Congress on national security matters and one of the foremost experts on the strategic threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Dave will be able to use the expertise he gained during more than a decade of service in key national security positions on both sides of the Capitol to help Chairman Gallagher educate our nation on the very real threat posed by China and its leadership and to grapple with the policy changes we need to make to address this threat,” said Jaffer.

About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.

About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead).  It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.

About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.