Schakowsky Votes to Pass the America COMPETES Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chairwoman of Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, celebrated the House of Representatives' passage of the America COMPETES Act, a bold and transformative legislative package to supercharge American production of chips, strengthen U.S. supply chains and strengthen American manufacturing, advance U.S. scientific excellence and research and position American interest and values to win on the world stage. This package will ensure that America can outcompete any nation in the world, now and for decades to come. She issued the following statement:

"Today, I voted for and helped pass the America COMPETES Act of 2022 to reinvest in American workers and American jobs. This critical legislation strengthens supply chains, protects consumers, bolsters American manufacturing, and invests in our scientific and technological leadership.

"As Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, I was able to get provisions included in the America COMPETES Act that will safeguard consumers and their pocketbooks. The legislation includes my bipartisan INFORM Consumers Act, which I introduced with my colleague Representative Bilirakis. It protects consumers from counterfeit, stolen, and dangerous goods when they shop online, by requiring marketplaces like Amazon and Facebook to vet vendors using their platforms. This legislation will allow consumers to shop with confidence, while protecting legitimate businesses, increasing trust in the marketplace, and discouraging criminals and fraudsters.

"The America COMPETES Act also protects the health and safety of consumers by giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) critical recall authority to get dangerous drugs off the market. It also provides transparency and gives the President the flexibility to use the Defense Production Act to ensure the availability of medical supplies like vaccines and PPE during this pandemic and in the future.

"This critical legislation will also invest directly in the fight against climate change – supporting research to advance the next generation of energy storage, solar, hydrogen, critical materials, fusion energy, manufacturing, carbon removal, and bioenergy technologies, among many other areas. It will bolster climate diplomacy through a new Climate Security Strategy, Climate Change Officers in missions and a Climate Resilience Coordinator in the State Department. It also will create a new interagency Climate Impacts Task Force and ensure that the fight against climate change is a whole-of-government approach. It will also prepare our next generation of diverse clean energy researchers, scientists, and professionals.

"The bill makes critical investments in American manufacturing to create good jobs, empower workers, and build strong communities. The America COMPETES Act creates regional technology and innovation hubs across the country that will bring together local and state governments, universities, industry, labor organizations, worker cooperatives, and other groups to promote innovation and manufacturing capacity. They will create the foundation for a manufacturing renaissance that builds community wealth, especially in underserved communities.

"The America COMPETES Act also strengthens our economy and national security by bolstering our supply chains to prevent shortages of critical goods. The new Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response Office at the Department of Commerce will monitor supply chains to identify gaps or vulnerabilities. It equips the private sector with best practices and guidelines needed to proactively identify and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities. The bill also supports these supply chain resilience efforts and invests in domestic manufacturing with $45 billion for grants, loans, and loan guarantees. These measures will create jobs with competitive wages, preserve collective bargaining agreements and support union organizing efforts.

"From cars to computers, consumers are seeing higher prices because of a critical shortage of semiconductors. The CHIPS for America Act was included in the America COMPETES Act and will invest in American semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains to meet the sky-high demand. It will create incentives that will move manufacturing of critical components like semiconductors back onto American soil. This legislation also invests in America's technological leadership and will lower prices for consumers.

"The America COMPETES Act also makes important investments in STEM education for our nation's students and teachers. These investments will help prepare the next generation and our workers with the skills they need to stay competitive in high-tech industries. Two new grant programs are included in the bill to increase equitable access to computer science education for K-12 students and access to STEM pathways for postsecondary students. It also creates a million additional apprenticeships over the next five years – further growing our highly skilled workforce and economy.

"Today, we make a historic investment in American competitiveness. I was proud to vote for the America COMPETES Act to protect consumers, build supply chains resilience, promote a renaissance in domestic manufacturing, and continue our technological and scientific leadership."

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