Press Releases

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today voted to pass the America COMPETES Act to boost our global competitiveness through investments in the American supply chain, manufacturing and cutting-edge innovation.

“The pandemic revealed the weaknesses in our domestic supply chain and reliance on countries like China,” said Rep. Cartwright. “By investing in manufacturing and technology here at home, we can fight rising prices, turbo-charge our economic recovery and create good paying jobs for American workers. The America COMPETES Act keeps us competitive on the world stage and strengthens our economy for generations to come.”

Background

Decades of outsourcing have eroded domestic manufacturing jobs and made the U.S. reliant on imports for manufactured goods. This has hindered American innovation, research and manufacturing.

Pandemic-induced factory shutdowns abroad led to a global shortage on semic8onductors, which are required to produce electronics and automobiles. Price increases in the automobile sector have played an outsized role in driving up inflation during supply chain disruptions.

According to the Joint Economic Committee, the United States has lost over a quarter of all domestic manufacturing jobs, a decline of over 4.7 million, since January 2000. Increased competition from China cost the U.S. approximately 985,000 manufacturing jobs between 1991 and 2011.

The America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act invests in the American supply chain for critical technologies such as semiconductors and supports American production from start to finish. By bolstering American manufacturing, creating jobs and spurring innovation, the America COMPETES Act improves our nation’s global competitiveness.

The America COMPETES Act:

• Authorizes $45 billion to strengthen supply chains and American manufacturing to spur innovation and build economic resilience.

• Invests $52 billion in domestic chip manufacturing, keeping the U.S. on the cutting edge of semiconductor production and decreasing our reliance on China for vital goods.

• Boosts the American research pipeline that leads to more manufacturing jobs, ensuring America reaps the economic benefits of innovation instead of shipping opportunities overseas.

A section-by-section analysis of the America COMPETES Act can be found HERE and a factsheet can be found HERE.