Chair DeLauro Delivers Floor Remarks in Support of the America COMPETES Act
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of the America COMPETES Act.
The America COMPETES Act is a historic package. It makes strategic investments to strengthen supply chains, protect our national security, and bolster our economic competitiveness. It gives us the tools to fight for jobs here at home, protect our critical supply chains –while addressing key trade challenges that we face.
It recognizes the need to bring back American manufacturing, fights for good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced. It appropriates billions for critically-needed semiconductors and billions to address broken supply chains – doubling down on our commitment for American-made innovation to prevent future shortages and disruptions.
We need to be a nation once again that builds and not a nation that just consumes. We need to create our own supply chains and not be dependent on others. It protects American workers from foreign countries with unfair practices by including a robust renewal of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program that supports American workers who have lost their jobs because of trade practices by other countries. It puts an end to China's export of goods to us valued below $800 to avoid paying import duties and often to avoid screening to determine whether those goods are made with forced labor.
It includes the National Critical Capability Defense Act that I introduced last year that establishes a screening process that protects the critical supply chain and our manufacturing capacity. It is a process that reviews our overseas investments to make sure that we are not giving up or offshoring critical capabilities, safeguarding our workers, detecting supply chain vulnerability, and ensure that they stay here in America.
It includes provisions I have championed for years, language from my bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act that will help foster our next generation of leaders.
The bill gives the FDA the mandatory recall authority it needs to protect families from the risks posed by unsafe drugs.
It includes a bipartisan amendment that I have to end the factory farming of mink that threaten public health as we continue fighting COVID-19.
So, with that, I look forward to voting in favor of this bill – and I urge my colleagues to do the same. It is time that America take that leadership again, produces what it needs, and protects our workers, our society, and all of the industry that is attuned to that as well.
Thank you, and I yield back.
A video of DeLauro's remarks can be found here.