Home » US Congress Bipartisan Promotes Anti-Communist Science and Technology Act to Improve Competitiveness | Chips | Semiconductors

US Congress Bipartisan Promotes Anti-Communist Science and Technology Act to Improve Competitiveness | Chips | Semiconductors

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[Epoch Times November 16, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Li Yan comprehensive report) American congressmen from both parties are seeking to pass a bill to improve the United States’ competitiveness in China and provide funding for much-needed semiconductor production. This comprehensive legislation received bipartisan support in the Senate in June, but stagnated in the House of Representatives.

Members of the House of Representatives stated that they do not want to consider the “American Innovation and Competition Act” (USICA) passed by the Senate, but to write their own version of the bill.

Five months later, the House of Representatives still did not vote on its own bill, nor did it discuss USICA. Due to the dense legislative agenda, there may not be time to pass the bill in 2021.

The Senate passed USICA 68 to 32. The bill is a rare legislative attempt on US industrial policy-authorizing US$190 billion to strengthen US technological development and research, and an additional US$54 billion to increase US production and research in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment.

Beijing claims that USICA is based on “Cold War mentality.” The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, Zhao Lijian, said at a daily press conference in Beijing on Monday (November 15) that this would damage the relations between the two countries. “China (the CCP) has always been firmly opposed to this.”

A global shortage of computer chips is suppressing production from game consoles to automobiles. USICA funds will help expand US chip manufacturing capabilities.

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Sources told Reuters that the CCP has been pushing American executives, companies and business groups to oppose USICA and other related bills in Congress.

Many of the issues involved in the USICA, including trade and human rights, are expected to be the topics of Monday’s Worship Online Summit.

President Joe Biden will hold a video conference with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on Monday, Eastern Time. “Wall Street Journal” analysis pointed out that this meeting will test the Biden administration’s China policy that integrates “confrontation and cooperation”.

Members of the two parties actively promote the adoption of USICA

An aide to the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives would not disclose when the House of Representatives will consider the bill, only saying that there are still differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate that must be resolved.

Many senators are trying to incorporate USICA provisions into other legislation, such as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. NDAA is an annual national defense policy bill that must be passed and is expected to be passed within a few weeks.

On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter that “the USICA text passed by the Senate may be added to the NDAA.”

“This will enable USICA negotiations with the House of Representatives to be completed with the NDAA before the end of the year,” he added.

Taking a tough stance against the CCP is one of the few issues where the two parties in Congress can reach consensus. Members and aides of both parties are worried that if changes are not made quickly, the bill may be delayed until 2022.

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Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Armed Affairs Committee, while expressing “frustration”, urged the House of Representatives to quickly pass USICA. He said in a statement: “I am very pleased to see this legislation passed in the Senate on a broad bipartisan basis in June, and strongly urge the House of Representatives to deal with it quickly and send it to the office of the President without delay. On the table.”

Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “It is vital that Congress pass strong bipartisan legislation to address the generational threat posed by the CCP.”

Editor in charge: Lin Yan#

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