WASHIGTON, D.C.– Rep. Mike Gallagher today released the following statement after voting against the COMPETES Act, a nearly 3,000 page bill that is riddled with loopholes and provisions that make the U.S. less competitive with China.
“The COMPETES Act is not a serious effort to make the US more competitive with China. It authorizes billions to a UN climate slush fund with no guarantees that this funding won’t be used to purchase products made from Chinese slave labor, mentions coral reefs more than it does China, and fails to include guardrails on CHIPS funding, thereby allowing companies to expand semiconductor production in China while simultaneously benefitting from federal funding. This is counterproductive and defeats the whole purpose of the legislation.
“That Speaker Pelosi decided to squander a chance for bipartisan action by pushing this bill through the House is a shame. Whether it be my bill, the Endless Frontier Act, or the CHIPS Act, Republicans and Democrats alike have demonstrated they are more than willing to do what’s necessary to put the U.S. in a position to out-compete China. Cooler heads must prevail, and as the bill moves to conference, my hope is we will get a bipartisan product worthy of the scope of the challenge facing our nation.”
In addition, the COMPETES Act:
  • Fails to include important guardrails on semiconductor funding, which could allow a company could receive federal funding to build semiconductor production here in the US and then turn around and invest in building new semiconductor fabs in China. Rep. Gallagher proposed an amendment to impose these guardrails, but Democrats blocked it from even being debated, despite that fact that the Biden Administration, including Secretary Raimondo, has called for guardrails to be included.
  • Authorizes $8 billion to pour into an unaccountable U.N. climate slush fund with no guarantees that the $8 billion won’t be used to purchase things like solar panels or batteries from Xinjiang, where this is an ongoing genocide.
  • Is more focused on pet Democratic projects than real and pressing bipartisan issues. It mentions Coral Reefs more times than it mentions China.
  • Includes China-related provisions that are often toothless and no longer relevant. For example, it contains a Sense of Congress that China should release two Canadian citizens that were freed back in September.
  • Also contains language encouraging the IOC to move the Olympics out of China, despite the fact that the opening ceremony is already underway.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email