Pascrell and DeLauro Push Urgent Action to Protect American Jobs and Supply Chains

Press Release

U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today urged the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to move swiftly to protect American jobs and supply chains and enact their watershed legislation, the National Critical Capabilities Defense Act (NCCDA), submitting an official joint statement into the record for the committee's hearing on "Examining Outbound Investment."

"We cannot be weak-kneed when it comes to standing up to our adversaries, starting with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. We must take all necessary steps to protect the United States supply chain and our national security from foreign adversaries. While we are encouraged by support from the Biden Administration on this issue and have encouraged executive action, we continue to believe that statutory provisions, like the NCCDA, are essential to safeguard our Nation's critical capabilities, national security, and American workers," Reps. Pascrell and DeLauro urged the Senate Banking Committee.

In a July hearing, Senate Banking Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) committed to working with colleagues to address the issue of outbound investment in a vehicle separate from the CHIPS package, which has now been signed into law by President Biden.

Reps. Pascrell and DeLauro are lead sponsors of the National Critical Capabilities Defense Act, which will create a National Critical Capabilities Committee. Once enacted, the committee will be empowered to review and block certain U.S. production offshoring, development, or manufacturing of identified critical national capabilities being made within adversarial nations including China and Russia. The legislation encompasses the production of medical supplies and medicines, articles essential to the electrical grid, and areas vital to U.S. national security, among others. The National Critical Capabilities Defense Act was included in the trade title of the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (America COMPETES Act) that passed the House of Representatives on February 4, 2022. Pascrell joined House and Senate leaders to urge President Biden to take executive action modeled after the NCCDA that would protect American workers and supply chains.

Source