Category: US Senate

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Bennet Applauds Senate Approval of U.S. Innovation and Competition Act

Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet

Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet applauded the U.S. Senate’s passage of the bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). The legislation will invest in emerging technologies, shore up critical supply chains, and bolster America’s economic competitiveness and national security. The bill passed the U.S. Senate 68-32.

“For too long, Washington has been asleep at the switch while Beijing has pursued a ‘China First’ policy to write the global rules of the road from technology to trade,” said Bennet. “Today’s legislation provides a comprehensive, bipartisan response that invests in technologies vital to our competitiveness and security, while bolstering America’s global leadership and cracking down on the Chinese government’s mercantilist trade policies, intellectual property theft, and attacks on human rights. And by including $1.5 billion to unlock the benefits of 5G in line with legislation I introduced last year, the bill underscores America’s commitment  to develop secure technologies that will underpin economic growth.”

USICA is comprehensive legislation that authorizes nearly $200 billion in spending and includes the Endless Frontier Act, the Strategic Competition Act, and the Meeting the China Challenge Act. The bill also appropriates $52 billion to fund the CHIPS for America Act and $1.5 billion for O-RAN to promote U.S. domestic semiconductor manufacturing and leadership in 5G.  

  • The Endless Frontier Act. This authorizes nearly $120 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, along with other efforts. It provides $52 billion in funding for NSF’s core research and activities, along with $29 billion for a new Technology and Innovation Directorate to fund R&D in 10 key technology focus areas, such as artificial intelligence and quantum science. The bill also includes nearly $17 billion for the Department of Energy to support research in the technology focus areas, along with funding to bolster America’s STEM workforce and promote technology innovation, manufacturing, and job creation across the country.
  • Funding for Semiconductors and 5G. USICA includes $52 billion to fund the CHIPS for America Act, which was authorized in last year’s annual defense spending bill. This funding will primarily support grants through the Department of Commerce to bolster America’s domestic semiconductors manufacturing capacity. The bill also includes $1.5 billion for O-RAN, a virtualized approach to 5G wireless networks that can provide credible alternatives to Huawei and ZTE. The funding mirrors the USA Telecommunications Act, which Bennet introduced last year to spur ‘leap-ahead’ technologies in the U.S. mobile broadband market and support multilateral cooperation to promote secure and trusted telecommunications technologies.  
  • The Strategic Competition Act. This draws on a bill Bennet co-sponsored to establish a dedicated office at the Department of State to promote cooperation among democratic countries to set international standards and norms for emerging technologies. The Strategic Competition Act also includes provisions to promote cooperation with allies and partners; restore American leadership of international and regional organizations; address China’s predatory economic practices; and hold countries accountable for forced labor and human rights violations.  

The Meeting the China Challenge Act. This includes provisions to strengthen sanctions against Chinese violations related to Hong Kong, human rights, cyber espionage, illicit trade with North Korea, and fentanyl production and distribution, among other issues. It also provides for broad mandatory sanctions on Chinese actors engaged in cyberattacks or intellectual property theft against the U.S., along with a review of export controls for items that could be used to support human rights abuses in China. 

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Warner Applauds Senate Passage of Legislation to Invest in American Innovation and Competition

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a statement on the Senate’s passage today of the United States Innovation and Competition Act, bipartisan legislation that includes Warner-led provisions to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G and shore up American leadership in the microelectronics industry: 

“America’s innovation in semiconductors undergirds our entire innovation economy. A wide array of products – from planes and automobiles to household appliances and small ‘smart’ devices – rely on these chips, and demand is only growing. But for too long, the U.S. has allowed competitors like China to out-invest us. No more. This bill makes a major, $52 billion investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, which will create good-paying jobs in America while maintaining our global innovation edge,” said Sen. Warner. “I am encouraged that this bill passed the Senate today on a broadly bipartisan basis, and strongly encourage our colleagues in the House to take it up and send it to the President’s desk without delay.” 

The United States Innovation and Competition Act – also known by an earlier name, the Endless Frontier Act – would help invest in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and advanced research and development by investing $52 billion to implement the CHIPS for America Act, a bipartisan law championed by Sen. Warner to help restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil. Semiconductors power modern technology, including cars, computers, smartphones and an increasing number of internet-connected ‘smart’ devices as varied as laundry machines to toothbrushes. A current production shortage of chips has backed up manufacturing supply lines in the United States, with major automobile manufacturers projecting $110 billion in lost sales this year due to factories sitting idle while waiting for components, and increased costs for goods such as televisions and home appliances dependent on imported semiconductors being passed on to U.S. consumers. Demand for semiconductors is expected to continue to grow, as internet connectivity and software processing is added to an ever-wider array of consumer, enterprise, and industrial products, services, and systems.  

The United States Innovation and Competition Act also includes funding for the bipartisan Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecommunications Act, legislation Sen. Warner introduced to support U.S. innovation in 5G and provide alternatives to Chinese equipment providers like Huawei and ZTE, which are heavily subsidized by the Communist Party of China and present serious risks to national security and the integrity of information networks globally.

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King Seeks Safeguards to Avoid “Accidental Conflict” with China

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In today’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the danger of accidental conflict due to the lack of direct communication between the U.S. and Chinese governments and militaries – citing the unlearned lessons from history that the two nations need to heed. During his questioning, Senator King underscored that a line of direct communication between high level commanders on both sides could diffuse and prevent an incipient crisis. In an exchange with top U.S.-Chinese relations expert, Dr. Evan Medeiros, Senator King laid out his concerns:

SENATOR KING: “Mr. Medeiros, why is it that the Chinese are reluctant to establish a kind of hotline, red phone, [military-to-military] connection because it seems to me that the danger – one of the grave dangers both of the countries face is an accidental conflict. I just checked on Amazon – there are 11 copies left of the Chinese language version of the Guns of August [Barbara Tuchman’s Pulitzer-winning book examining the origins of  World War I] and perhaps we ought to send those to the Chinese Politburo, because this business of not wanting to be on the other end of the phone if there’s an incident in the South China Sea makes no sense to me, from the point of view of China, let alone our country.”

Mr. MEDEIROS: “Thank you, Senator – excellent question. And I strongly support your information operation of sending Chinese language versions of the Guns of August to the Politburo standing committee, maybe we can work on that, after this hearing. But more specifically, actually the channels of crisis communications exist. In 2008, a defense telephone link was created between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense in China. The issue is less the nonexistence of channels, it’s the fact that the Chinese refuse to use them… I worry that it’s going to take a Cuban Missile Crisis-like situation for the Chinese leadership to appreciate how important crisis communication is and encourage them to move away from such stilted view of how to use these channels because the interactions between the Chinese military and the U.S. military in East Asia are growing in frequency and in complexity and if we don’t have the right measures in place, the risk of crisis is growing and then because of the weak communication channels our ability to manage that crisis is significantly constrained.”

In addition to Mr. Medeiros, Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-China Studies Georgetown University, today’s hearing featured testimony from Matt Pottinger, Former Assistant To The President And Deputy National Security Advisor, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The Hoover Institution Stanford University; Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School Of Public Affairs University Of Texas At Austin; Bonnie Glaser, Director, Asia Program, German Marshall Fund Of The United States.

As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Strategic Forces – which oversees the United States’ nuclear posture worldwide – and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues in the Senate. In addition to his committee work, Senator King serves on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, and is co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. He voted in favor of the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes several funding and policy priorities advocated for by Senator King to support military facilities and communities in Maine and advance the national defense. The legislation – containing 25 bipartisan cybersecurity recommendations from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission – became law earlier this year after Senator King and the overwhelming majority of his colleagues voted to override former President Trump’s veto.

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Hagerty: the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act falls short of countering Chinese Communist Party

Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

Hagerty: the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act falls short of countering Chinese Communist Party

WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today opposed passage of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act and released the following statement:

“The United States and China, under the Chinese Communist Party, are locked in a great power competition that will define the 21st century, but the Democrat Leader has stifled debate and cut off attempts by Senators to continue to improve this bill,” Senator Hagerty said. “I have filed more than a dozen amendments aimed at countering the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression and predatory acts that deserve full consideration. This final legislation falls far short of what is needed.”

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Despite GOP Delay, Markey Celebrates Senate Passage of His Provisions Included in the Innovation and Competition Act

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Threat of Filibuster Delayed Passage of the Legislation for 22 Days Despite 68-32 Bipartisan Vote on Final Passage

 

Legislation includes $3 billion annually for U.S. engagement in Indo Pacific, as well as provisions to strengthen U.S. bioeconomy, support researchers impacted by pandemic

Washington (June 8, 2021) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Foreign Relations and Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees, today applauded Senate passage of several of his provisions in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. As Chairman of the East Asia Subcommittee, Senator Markey secured provisions to reaffirm U.S leadership in the Indo-Pacific in the areas of human rights, building alliances, combatting climate change and building resilience, countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and strengthening democratic governance. The legislation also includes Senator Markey’s efforts to strengthen the U.S. bioeconomy and support researchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite the threat of a filibuster that delayed this bipartisan bill, today we took another step closer to reestablishing our leadership on the global stage. This legislation will give the United States an edge in scientific development, reestablish a standard for human rights, and make our country safer. I am proud that the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act includes several of my provisions to put the United States back at the front of the line in research, development, and investment. But this legislation is not perfect, and I hope that as the bill continues through the legislative process, the trade provisions are improved to enforce stronger environmental and labor standards, including the addition of climate standards and removal of terms that could undermine worker or consumer protections,” said Senator Markey.

Senator Markey successfully led efforts to include provisions in several key areas of importance to United States’ interests, values, and security, such as:

  • Increasing the annual investment through ARIA by $500 million to a total of $3 billion per year and extending authorization of such appropriations an additional three years—through 2026—for activities in the Indo-Pacific including strengthening democratic governance, anti-corruption efforts, natural resource management, tackling environmental and security challenges, maritime cooperation, bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagement in the region, and countering threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
  • Increasing oversight of United States government efforts to combat the illicit fentanyl and opioid trade originating from the PRC by instituting reporting and briefing requirements.
  • Advancing the Taiwan Fellowship Act, co-led by Senator Rubio, which establishes a fellowship exchange program for U.S. federal government employees to learn, live, and work in Taiwan for a time period of up to two years.
  • Calling on the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to facilitate a robust interagency Indo-Pacific climate resiliency and adaptation strategy.
  • Standing up a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group in cooperation with Senator Young to link legislators from the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, collectively known as the “Quad,” to facilitate progress in combating climate change, delivering vaccines to those in need, and facilitating other areas of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Increasing funding for Radio Free Asia by over 50 percent to $70 million a year through 2026 to expand its services to reach audiences within China that do not have access to free and independent media. Radio Free Asia broadcasts in nine languages – including in Mandarin, Tibetan, Cantonese, and Uyghur – delivering highly syndicated reporting that breaks the Chinese Government’s information firewall.
  • Mandating a report on China’s supply of ballistic missiles or sensitive technology to Saudi Arabia or any other country. Based on Senator Markey’s SAUDI WMD ACT, this provision requires transparency into Saudi Arabia’s activities in light of press reporting that it received cooperation from China in the construction of a ballistic missile facility and an unsafeguarded nuclear facility. 
    • Strengthening America’s bioeconomy by establishing an initiative and interagency committee to advance and coordinate independent engineering biology efforts across federal agencies. The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act was originally introduced last year and passed out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Senator Markey reintroduced the bill in April, alongside Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
    • Authorizing federal science agencies to provide support to U.S. researchers who have been impacted by the pandemic as most research has been delayed due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The RISE Act was marked up and approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in September 2020. In February 2021, the bipartisan co-leads, Senators Markey, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) reintroduced the legislation.
    • Making clean technology manufacture, development, and deployment a priority for determining grants to eligible consortia.  The Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act of 2021 was reintroduced by Senator Markey and Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) in April 2021
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Senator Burr Statement on United States Innovation and Competition Act Vote

Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Richard Burr

06.08.21

Today, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) released the following statement after the Senate voted 68-32 to pass the United States Innovation and Competition Act:

“China continues to attempt to infiltrate our nation’s economy and national security apparatus by targeting and exploiting our vulnerabilities. America’s key technology sectors and research institutions are particularly at risk. To better protect these vital sectors and foster American innovation, we need focused, robust, and thoughtful policies that defend against IP theft. Unfortunately, this legislation lacks the necessary targeted approach and falls short of guaranteeing critical protections. For these reasons, I have voted against this bill.”

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Murphy, Portman Applaud Inclusion of Provision to Fight Global Propaganda and Disinformation in Passage of U.S. Innovation and Competition Act

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

June 08, 2021

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), both members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday applauded passage of their provision to authorize $150 million in FY22 funding for the Global Engagement Center (GEC) in order to counter propaganda and disinformation from countries like China and Russia, as well as foreign non-state actors, as part of the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (S. 1260). This authorization more than doubles the amount Congress appropriated for the GEC in FY21. 

“If we’re serious about fighting propaganda and disinformation abroad, we must equip the Global Engagement Center with sufficient resources. With the passage of our bipartisan provision, Congress is making this possible, and I look forward to President Biden signing this bill into law,” said Murphy.

“State sponsored disinformation is a threat to democratic societies throughout the world. As we see today with Russian aggression in Ukraine or with vaccines, these tactics are inexpensive, easily deniable and can be devastatingly effective if left unchecked,” said Portman. “The Global Engagement Center is the United States Government’s agency that coordinates our interagency efforts to combat disinformation abroad. Time and time again, it has demonstrated its effectiveness in assisting our allies as they push back against Chinese and Russian disinformation efforts. This increase in funding is much needed and will provide the GEC with the resources it needs to continue to effectively combat disinformation and propaganda.”

Murphy and Portman introduced the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, which was signed into law in December 2016. The law improved the ability of the United States to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation by establishing the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which is charged with leading the U.S. government’s efforts to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation. The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act authorized the State Department to request $60 million annually for two years from the Department of Defense for the GEC to help counter foreign propaganda and disinformation being waged against the United States and our allies by state and non-state adversaries.

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Sen. Lee Issues Statement on January 6 Commission

Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee today issued the following statement on his vote opposing legislation to create a commission investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol:

“The events of January 6th were tragic, and there are many legitimate questions that remain to be answered. However, the commission the Democrats attempted to establish today contained broad investigative mandates even to areas outside the events of January 6th, combined with broad subpoena power and a flawed structure – constituting a recipe for a political witch-hunt. I support efforts, including the multiple investigations underway and the oversight from Senate Committees, to uncover these unanswered questions, but establishing a Kangaroo Commission to politicize the events of that day will neither help us deliver justice nor get to the bottom of the truth.”

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Rubio: This Isn’t the China Bill America Needs

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after voting against the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (S. 1260), which fails to address many of the most serious challenges facing the United States in its competition with the Chinese Communist Party and Government. Rubio, who outlined a bipartisan path forward on China, has long advocated an industrial policy to counter Beijing and stronger actions to confront the CCP’s malicious activities. 

“I have been talking about increased investment for research and innovation in America for years, well before it was popular, but this is not the China bill America needs,” Rubio said. “Not only does it fail to protect American taxpayer investments, it also fails to secure our capital markets from the CCP’s exploitations, fails to restore fair trade, and fails to counter Beijing’s military aggression.”   

Last month, the Senate killed Rubio’s amendment to protect taxpayer funding from being stolen by Chinese intelligence agencies. The Senate also adopted an amendment that would make us more reliant on China for basic products, including personal protective equipment.  

Rubio filed 22 amendments to S. 1260, including #1778: Targeting Chinese aggression in the South China and East China Seas, which failed to make it into the final bill  despite promises from Senate Democrats.  

Rubio is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

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Senate Passes Endless Frontier Act with Romney Measures to Counter China

Source: United States Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT)

One of Romney’s amendments would mandate diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

WASHINGTON—The Senate today passed the Endless Frontier Act with eight amendments authored by U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) aimed at developing a strategy to counter China. One of Romney’s amendments mandates a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in light of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing human rights abuses, including the Uyghur genocide.
           
“Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, China has made it very clear that their objective is to replace the U.S. as the world’s dominant player—and that they intend to break rules to achieve that goal,” Senator Romney said. “These amendments will help the U.S. pressure the CCP to change their behavior or face meaningful consequences. One of my amendments requires a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in response to China’s ongoing human rights abuses. We must to come together with our allies and the free nations of the world if we are going to be successful in our effort to counter China, and I applaud the Senate for taking a strong step in the right direction to do that.”
               
Senator Romney’s amendments included in the Endless Frontier Act:

  1. Mandating a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in light of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing human rights abuses, including the Uyghur genocide.
  2. Directing the U.S. Trade Representative to enter negotiations with our allies to stop the importation of goods made with stolen intellectual property into the U.S. and allied countries.
  3. Deterring China from using force against Taiwan by pressing the administration and allies to develop and coordinate the significant consequences China should expect if it uses force.
  4. Reaffirming U.S. policy that Tibetan Buddhists should have the religious freedom to choose the next Dalai Lama, despite Chinese claims that they get to choose the next Dalai Lama, and encouraging allies to adopt a similar policy. 
  5. Calling for information sharing with Taiwan at the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
  6. Directing the Department of State to consult with close allies regarding the newly mandated intellectual property violators list.
  7. Combatting Chinese propaganda by directing Voice of America to review opportunities to expand content about the United States, including news, culture, and values.
  8. Urging the U.S. to prepare for China’s retaliation against U.S. sanctions.