Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021
Floor Speech
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to amendment 22. I believe this amendment will undermine our ability to appropriately deal with human rights abuses and aggressions towards the United States.
This amendment would require the Secretary of State in coordination with the Secretary of Energy to submit a report to Congress on how U.S. sanctions are affecting our ability to adapt to climate change and promote environmental justice, among other things.
First, let me remind my friends across the aisle that we are meant to be discussing the competitiveness bill today, not a climate bill. This bill is meant to address the Chinese Communist Party's growing aggression and to ensure the United States remains the world leader in science and technology.
This amendment doesn't prioritize our competitiveness, and it doesn't help us face the threat from China. Worst, it could hinder our abilities to address that threat.
Let's not forget sanctions are for countries that have committed inexcusable offenses against their own people or the United States.
It seems to me that the purpose of this amendment is to show that our sanctions against China, who is committing forced labor crimes every day, are actually hurting progress towards adapting to climate change.
Essentially, this amendment places technological adaptations to climate change on the same footing as forced labor and genocide. I fully believe that the United States has the capacity to develop innovative technologies to continue to reduce our emission and mitigate the effects of climate change. And I do not accept that to do this, we need to prioritize China's innovation over their use of forced labor.
Addressing climate change does not require sacrificing American ideals and standards. We can best address global climate change by innovating in America and holding China accountable, not by giving them a pass. I would much rather look at how the United States can encourage more participation in research and development than drive innovation.
Let's support our research enterprise, our workforce, our access to domestic critical minerals and, yes, let's actually identify innovative ways that we can combat global climate change.
Not once has the Department of Energy or the National Science Foundation come to us to say that our stance against forced labor or child labor is hindering their ability to research, develop, and demonstrate clean energy technologies. This is a made-up problem, which this report is trying to solve with a pre-determined solution.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support your constituents by putting the United States first and opposing this amendment.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I think my opening statement made the point that this is actually conflating two issues and shouldn't. And so for that reason, I strongly oppose the amendment.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this amendment further expands the existing 80-year- old apprenticeships system to now include apprenticeships in ``media and entertainment.''
Instead of expanding this program that is already bloated with bureaucracy, time-consuming paperwork, and overly burdensome requirements, this bill should be focusing on programs that push employer-developed apprenticeships that will help our workforce expand and thrive.
I cannot help but ask: What do apprenticeships in media and entertainment have to do with competing with the Chinese Communist Party?
The CCP has dramatically increased its STEM workforce. One report predicts a 300 percent increase in the number of overall STEM graduates in China versus a 30 percent increase in the United States.
Instead of focusing on training the next Meryl Streep, we should be focused on developing America's STEM workforce, especially at the skilled technical workforce level.
If we can't expand the STEM workforce through initiatives like innovative apprenticeship models that give employees the skills they need, we won't be able to maintain the talent base that supports key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, energy, healthcare, and defense.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I would reply to my colleague that in Oklahoma we have done an incredible job of expanding the media and entertainment industry within our State without this type of program.
We need to be focusing on STEM innovation and STEM workforce. In Oklahoma, we could graduate every engineering student from our colleges and universities and still be 3,000 engineers short, particularly as we look at our military bases in Oklahoma. Focusing on core industries like energy and defense are what we should be doing.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, this amendment would insert the text of H.R. 4996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, into the America COMPETES Act.
The bill passed the House under suspension of the rules with 364 bipartisan votes in December, and I was proud to support the legislation.
The amendment provides expanded authorities to the Federal Maritime Commission, which regulates ocean shipping to protect and ensure fairness for U.S. shippers who import and export items to and from the U.S.
The amendment helps American shippers operate on a level playing field by increasing protections for U.S. shippers from retaliation by foreign shippers who file a complaint with the FMC.
It also prohibits foreign ocean carriers from unreasonably denying the carriage of U.S. export cargo on foreign ocean carriers' vessels if such cargo is available, can be loaded safely, and is going to a destination on the ship's schedule.
This provision is important for agricultural producers in Oklahoma and across the country who will benefit from increased capacity to ship production across the globe.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressmen Garamendi and Johnson for their support of the underlying bill and this amendment, and I urge its passage.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Mount Rushmore State of South Dakota (Mr. Johnson).
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Madam Speaker, some have suggested that the supply chain crisis has eased. Now, to be sure, important progress has been made, but serious problems still exist, and now is not the time for us to take our foot off the gas.
Notably, although this body has passed the Garamendi-Johnson Ocean Shipping Reform Act, the Senate has not yet acted. Let's be clear: Action is needed.
Earlier this week, the dry peas and lentils producers told me that 30 to 40 percent of their shipments are still being canceled by the foreign-flagged ocean carriers. Now, remember, this is an environment where 60 percent of the containers that were hauled back to Asia last year went back empty. They were empty at a time when American agriculture products were aging and, in some cases, spoiling right there on the docks.
Carriers are discriminating against American manufactured and agricultural goods.
This is not a conceptual threat. These practices have already cost the American dairy industry more than $1.3 billion, and things could get a lot worse.
Our producers have worked hard to build foreign markets in the commodities that Mr. Garamendi mentioned as well as beef, beans, corn, and dairy. If those producers cannot meet their obligations, then buyers will look elsewhere for food. This has already cost us an estimated 22 percent of market share for our ag producers. This is unacceptable.
Now, Mr. Garamendi is right. A functional market has reciprocity. It also has basic rules of the road, and the Ocean Shipping Reform Act establishes those basic rules of the road. This amendment would add OSRA to the underlying bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment so that we can continue to build momentum.
Now, in fact, our partners in the Senate, Amy Klobuchar and John Thune, are expected to introduce OSRA in their Chamber this week. Yet another House vote in support of OSRA will send a clear message to Leader Schumer that our bill should be put on the floor for a vote.
Madam Speaker, we do need to better align the interests of the foreign-flagged ocean carriers with those of American manufacturers and American ag producers. That is what this amendment does.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The amendment is the latest attempt by Progressives to undermine efforts to keep money out of the hands of a terrorist organization.
Following the Biden administration's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country, the U.S. did freeze nearly $9.5 billion in assets of the Afghan central bank to prevent the terrorist organization from accessing the funds.
Other international organizations have taken similar actions. This amendment attacks such protections made by the U.S. and our international partners. The package already jeopardizes our national security by signaling to the Communist leadership in China that we are not taking our economic competitiveness and technological leadership seriously.
Now, some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are taking it a step further by attempting to include language that encourages handing over billions of dollars to a terrorist organization. I am disappointed an amendment that helps enrich the Taliban is being considered for inclusion in a so-called international competitiveness package.
I encourage my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, why this particular amendment is being put into an America COMPETES Act is beyond me. It is emboldening and empowering our adversaries across the world and, certainly, with this particular move, you are allowing for terrorist organizations to access $9.5 billion.
While I recognize the humanitarian crisis, this administration is responsible for that, candidly.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this amendment, and I thank my fellow Science, Space, and Technology Committee member, Representative Young Kim, for first authoring this policy.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, 79 percent of Americans expect inflation to continue to rise over the next 6 months. Inflation isn't an abstract concept. Americans across the country are feeling the pinch every day at the grocery store, the gas pump, and everywhere else as they buy goods to support their families.
The Consumer Price Index reported earlier this year that inflation soared to a record level of 7 percent in 2021, and it only continues to grow with Democrats' wasteful spending sprees.
The underlying bill we are considering today just continues that dangerous pattern of reckless spending. Instead of focusing on the targeted bipartisan investments in basic research that would help America excel in competition against China, the underlying bill is filled with partisan slush fund spending.
We need to address the inflation crisis, and it should be top of mind whenever we consider massive spending bills.
This is why I strongly support this amendment, which directs the National Science Foundation to commission a study on the impacts of inflation on the American people, our international competitiveness, our underserved and rural communities, and our future generations.
As the U.S. economy rebounds from COVID-19, with the national debt at more than $30 trillion, and inflationary risks rising daily, this straightforward amendment is sensible, necessary, and timely.
I want to thank my colleague for her work on this important amendment.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, in closing, I want to reiterate my thanks to Representative Kim for her work on the amendment. I urge a ``yes'' vote to my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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