Slotkin, Moreno buck Trump with bipartisan Chinese car ban proposal Washington — Two emerging leaders on Capitol Hill are teaming up for a bipartisan push to keep Chinese cars and trucks out of the United States. Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio introduced a bill Wednesday to solidify barriers to China building its U.S. automotive presence. Their proposal would ban the import, manufacture and sale of internet-connected vehicles, software and hardware linked to China or other adversaries. “As Europe, Mexico, and others allow their markets to be overrun by Chinese predators, the U.S. must act before it’s too late. The answer is simple: Chinese vehicles can never be allowed into the U.S. market — the fate of the American auto industry and countless autoworkers depends on it,” Moreno, a former auto dealer, said in a statement. The bill introduction comes some two weeks before President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly signaled openness to allowing Chinese automakers to manufacture in the United States, prepares for a meeting next month with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. "If they want to come in, and build the plant, and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that's great," Trump told the Detroit Economic Club in January. "I love that. Let China come in. Let Japan come in. They are, and they'll be building plants, but they're using our labor." Lawmakers and industry leaders have amped up messages to Trump and other administration officials ahead of the China visit. There is widespread and bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill that the United States would seriously damage its domestic auto industry by allowing ascendant Chinese companies to open new operations stateside. "Chinese cars are a serious threat to America’s national security and Michigan’s economic security,”