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Rep. Schrier’s Bills Included in America COMPETES Act to Bring Down Consumer Costs, Shore Up the Supply Chain, Create Jobs

February 4, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) voted in support of the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act. The package includes several of Rep. Schrier’s bills and other improvements to mitigate supply chain disruptions, and invest in research, technology, and manufacturing. Rep. Schrier’s remarks on the package can be found here.

“This pandemic has shone a light on how much we rely on other countries for the manufacturing of critical goods and what happens when that is disrupted. Many families are feeling the pinch at the supermarket and at the gas pump. To prevent this and ensure export goods like agricultural products from the 8th District make it overseas, we can’t afford bumps in the supply chain,” said Rep. Schrier. “The America COMPETES Act, which includes several of my bipartisan bills, is important for our national security and to ensure we aren’t caught flatfooted again. This legislation makes one of the biggest public investments in our history to spur domestic manufacturing, build resiliency, monitor gaps, and ensure that we can address shortages before they happen. This bill needs to be signed into law as soon as possible.”

The America COMPETES Act includes Rep. Schrier’s bills:

  • Ocean Shipping Reform Act to crack down on international shipping companies who are making record profits at the expense of American exporters and provide exporters more support
  • Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act to identify how we can manufacture more goods in America and which ones, with a specific emphasis on rural communities
  • Data Transparency and Drug Safety Act to protect consumers by giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) power to go after companies who provide false information about their products.

In addition to Rep. Schrier’s bills, the America COMPETES Act addresses American competitiveness and supply chain issues in several ways.

Shores up the supply chain to bring down consumer costs

  • Strengthens our economy and national security by preventing shortages of critical goods and ensuring that more of these goods are made right here in the U.S.
  • Authorizes grants, loans, and loan guarantees to improve supply chain resilience and manufacturing of critical goods, industrial equipment, and manufacturing technology
  • Creates a governmentwide effort to strengthen supply chains by:
    • monitoring, preparing for and responding to supply chain shocks
    • reducing reliance on critical goods from other countries
    • encouraging the relocation of manufacturing facilities to the U.S. to create jobs
    • creating the market conditions necessary to improve supply chain resilience and allow American manufacturers to compete on a level-playing field

Microchips, education and jobs

  • Includes $52 billion to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, which will help address supply chain disruptions for microchips
  • Creates nearly one million additional apprenticeship opportunities over the next five years
  • Authorizes a new Department of Commerce program incentivizing collaborative partnerships between local governments, colleges and universities, private industry, non-profits and community organizations to support innovation and technology
  • Supports research in the fight against climate change to advance energy storage, solar, hydrogen, manufacturing, carbon removal, and bioenergy technologies
  • Increases access to STEM education in rural schools 

Strengthening our Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and improving medical supply chain

  • Increases the domestic drug manufacturing base
  • Establishes a $1.5 billion supply chain manufacturing pilot that will allow the U.S. to maintain domestic reserves of critical medical supplies
  • Requires contents in SNS to remain in good working order and improves the process for requesting supplies
  • Establishes a $10.5 billion pilot program to help states be more prepared in the event of another public health emergency through grants to expand or maintain a strategic stockpile of commercially available drugs, medical equipment, PPE and other products deemed by the state to be essential
Issues:Economy