Rep. Crawford Responds to House Passage of the “America Competes Act”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)

Rep. Crawford Responds to House Passage of the “America Competes Act”

2/4/2022

Washington — Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to the passage of the America Competes Act, a nearly 3,000 page bill which will cost around $325 billion.

“The America Concedes Act was pieced together to get the Biden administration something – anything – after their continued failures to get BBB across the finish line,” said Rep. Crawford. “Make no mistake, this is a Build Beijing Better Bill which fails on many fronts to hold China accountable for their belligerent behavior which has chipped away at our economy for years. It is clear that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats aren’t serious about putting America first and protecting our nation from the threat of China.”

The America Competes Act includes:

• Authorization of $8 billion to the U.N. climate fund, which has already awarded $100 million to China.
• Language which fails to prevent funding from going towards solar panels and batteries which are overwhelmingly created in China by forced labor. 
• Weakened sanctions from the Department of Education on higher education institutions that fail to disclose large donations and contracts with foreign actors, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
• Allowance for an unlimited number of members of the CCP to take advantage of the new visa program.
• No amendments that hold China accountable for the COVID pandemic.

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