WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Friday, February 4, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed eight key amendments authored by U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) as part of the America COMPETES Act — critical legislation to invest in American competitiveness and address major supply chain issues. The bill will also boost domestic manufacturing, accelerate U.S. production of semiconductor chips, reduce our reliance on foreign countries like China, and help lower costs for North Jersey families and small businesses, all while creating new US jobs.

Gottheimer’s amendments passed by the House within the America COMPETES Act will: 

1. Invest in a STEM-focused career and technical education for veterans looking to transition into the workforce.
2. Require a report to Congress  detailing links between private sector Chinese technology and social media companies and analyzing the impact that illicit technology transfers to Chinese companies can have on U.S. national security. 
3. Ensure the U.S. is coordinating national security-related tech innovation with allied nations like Israel, as a part of our strategy for countering China in the Middle East. 
4. Declare the Indo-Pacific region a critical priority for U.S. foreign policy and align the U.S. with regional powers in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region to support their efforts to better police critical maritime theaters for threats like piracy, narco-traffickers, and illicit fishing. 
5. Determine the need for an automated supply-chain tracking application to provide near real-time insight into the critical medical and health supplies available in the Strategic National Stockpile, to combat future shortages. 
6. Set a 30-day chokepoint count-down clock, requiring the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Transportation to report to Congress and the public on the major current chokepoints in our nation’s supply chain within one month. 
7. Address Chinese market manipulation in the U.S. — by establishing an interagency task force and expanding the study and strategy on money laundering by the People’s Republic of China to include risks of contributing to corruption. 
8. Address rural and manufacturing job loss caused by foreign competition — by requiring the National Manufacturing Advisory Council to solicit input from rural communities and those where foreign competition resulted in mass factory layoffs or economically disadvantaged areas.

“Today, the House passed key legislation I authored to bolster American competitiveness, create new U.S. jobs, and fight back against Chinese aggression. This critical bill includes my provisions to address supply chain chokepoints and stockpile issues, to counteract Chinese money laundering and social media privacy issues, and to support career advancement for our brave veterans, among other critical steps. It also fully funds the CHIPS Act, which will encourage game-changing investments in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing here in America,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’ll continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we get a comprehensive bill to the President’s desk that will promote U.S. leadership and competitiveness and help make life more affordable for North Jersey families and small businesses.”

The bill passed today also includes: 

• Full funding of the CHIPS Act which will enhance the manufacturing of microchips in the U.S., while also creating new jobs;
• Provisions to enhance innovation and technology, including through job training;
• Provide historic investment to increase U.S. manufacturing of other key technology components to clear the supply chain; and
• Create an office within the Commerce Department that would focus solely on the supply chain.

The bill also contains bipartisan provisions supported by Gottheimer to enact the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which will help fix major supply chain issues by addressing shipping collusion practices and streamlines ship and port usage. Provisions passed by the House today are critical components of Gottheimer’s Affordability Agenda for Jersey.

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