Decoupling From Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act

Floor Speech

My fellow Democrats and I strongly support the intent of this bill, which is to confront our global adversaries and build up an industrial manufacturing base here at home in the United States. We can't give the Communist Party of China any opportunity to undermine our homeland security, and I support the goal of this legislation to prohibit DHS from buying batteries from certain Chinese companies.

Due to a Democratic amendment to this bill in the last Congress, this prohibition was expanded to include any company using Uyghur forced labor or companies identified by the Secretary of Defense as Chinese military companies and those companies engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests against the United States, according to the Department of Commerce.

This bill also includes Democratic language requiring DHS to produce a report on the potential impacts and costs associated with carrying out the intent of this legislation before it becomes effective. That report will help the DHS and Congress manage any unanticipated negative consequences of this legislation.

Before I close, Mr. Speaker, I will note that, in the last Congress, the Senate made further improvements to this measure not reflected in this bill today. I support advancing H.R. 1166 today so that the Senate can continue to work on this measure. I also thank Mr. Gimenez for this legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source