WASHINGTON \u2014 Senate Democrats are mobilizing virtually all of their committees to come up with a massive legislative package designed to combat the Chinese government and bolster U.S. competitiveness against the global powerhouse.<\/p>\n
The measure, which committee leaders have begun discussing with their ranking members in hopes of finding bipartisan consensus, would expand on the \u201cchips and science\u201d law Congress enacted last year. That package was largely focused on spurring domestic semiconductor manufacturing, scientific research and technology innovation.<\/p>\n
The policy areas Democrats hope to cover in the new package are vast, but Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., boiled it down to five key topics:<\/p>\n
\u2014Limiting the flow of advanced technology to the Chinese government through export control laws and sanctions.<\/p>\n
\u2014Curbing U.S. investment in China, including by giving the Commerce and Treasury secretaries authority to screen and halt capital flowing to Chinese government-backed high-tech industries.<\/p>\n
\u2014Investing in domestic industries, including small businesses, that can reduce reliance on China.<\/p>\n
\u2014Aligning U.S. allies and economic partners against the Chinese government, like providing a U.S.-led alternative to China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative that aims to expand its reach through funding infrastructure projects around the globe.<\/p>\n
\u2014Deterring China from conflict with Taiwan and ensuring U.S. military allies are aligned in security goals.<\/p>\n
Democratic committee chairs, who spoke alongside Schumer at a press conference, are planning to hold hearings and mark up legislation. The bills will be combined \u201cinto one large Chinese government competition bill in coming months,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope to get a bill within the next several months if we can do it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big undertaking. But that\u2019s what we hope to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schumer said he\u2019s talked to Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, key partners on the chips and science law, and committee chairs have talked to their ranking members and other Republicans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe initial reaction has been excellent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Some of the legislative goals Democrats outlined, like deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan and limiting technology and investments flowing to China, have bipartisan support. <\/p>\n
But others could face more resistance. For example, Schumer and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., said one of the legislative goals is to position the U.S. as a global leader in the fight against climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina has been a net polluter, and they\u2019re still building coal plants,\u201d Schumer said. \u201cAnd this is one of the things we\u2019re going to look at \u2014 not only making sure that the United States moves in a strong direction in terms of green power, but also making sure that other countries who are not moving in that direction can\u2019t just move forward on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republicans generally do not share the same climate and energy goals as Democrats so it may be hard to find compromise in that area.<\/p>\n
However, Carper cited a bill he and EPW ranking member Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced last month that would strengthen nuclear energy infrastructure supply chains and bolster exports of U.S. nuclear technology as an example of the bipartisan measures that could be included in the package.<\/p>\n
Carper also spoke about wanting to strengthen domestic recycling systems to reduce dependence on foreign materials.<\/p>\n
Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he and ranking member Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho, plan to focus first on resurrecting key provisions from the trade title of the initial Senate-passed chips package before they were dropped in the bicameral version that became law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel very strongly about toughening trade enforcement to protect American businesses and American jobs,\u201d Wyden said.<\/p>\n
Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said her panel will focus on legislation to stop China from buying U.S. agricultural land and limit their role in the global food supply.<\/p>\n
She cited a bill she and Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, have introduced in previous years to make the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration permanent members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States as an example of legislation her panel may contribute.<\/p>\n
Defense component<\/strong><\/p>\n Democrats are likely to find the most support for the aspects of their plans to combat China that involve defense strategy. Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he wants to create a \u201cforce structure\u201d with U.S. allies \u201cto conduct operations and communication on an uninterrupted basis.\u201d<\/p>\n While defense is a \u201cnecessary\u201d component of the China competitiveness package, Schumer said it\u2019s \u201cnot sufficient\u201d on its own.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also have to deal with the economic issue because we\u2019re in a large, very important, very crucial competition with the Chinese government,\u201d he said. \u201cBoth are important.\u201d<\/p>\n Solving some of the economic challenges could prove difficult if Democrats propose significantly increasing spending, which Republicans may balk at, particularly if the package doesn\u2019t include offsets.<\/p>\n Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she will be looking at what kinds of investments will be needed to support the other committees\u2019 plans. She also noted that she\u2019s already begun conversations with fellow appropriators about increasing spending on research and development and strategic partnerships abroad.<\/p>\n At a time when many Republicans, particularly on the House side, are looking to cut nondefense spending, Murray noted that competing with China will require more than just investing in defense.<\/p>\n \u201cInvesting in child care is investing in the workforce that will build semiconductors here in America,\u201d she said. \u201cInvesting in clean energy is investing in American jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee, spoke about the need to build on robust appropriations for the National Science Foundation and other investments authorized in the chips and science law.<\/p>\n Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., mentioned his plan to spend on efforts to combat trafficking of fentanyl, which he called \u201cthe most dangerous import from China into the United States\u201d through Mexico.<\/p>\n Some of those spending proposals could draw bipartisan support but one that Republicans will most certainly resist is Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez\u2019s plan to fully fund the State Department and boost spending on U.S. diplomatic and development efforts.<\/p>\n The State-Foreign Operations budget is a frequent GOP target for spending cuts. Menendez, D-N.J., argued such cuts would be detrimental as China continues to expand its diplomatic footprint.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have more diplomatic posts around the world than any other country, including the United States,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Senate Small Business Chair Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said he spoke with ranking member Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, about the need to provide assistance for small businesses trying to compete with global companies. But the structure and cost of that assistance could be a point of contention.<\/p>\n Other ideas Democrats discussed for the package ranged widely, from updating the Federal Information Security Management Act to improve the government\u2019s cybersecurity posture to encouraging more domestic advanced manufacturing of generic drugs.<\/p>\n Schumer, asked about legislation to ban TikTok or other foreign-controlled applications, said that \u201cwill be something we will look at, definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n