S. 1260

Floor Speech

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Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, we know that some of our biggest competitors around the world spend billions in propping up state-owned enterprises and investing in research and development. They have also gotten pretty good at taking our ideas, monetizing them, and using them to compete--and sometimes cheat--against American businesses while paying their workers less and giving those workers fewer protections and rights. China is often the worst offender.

Ohio workers know all too well what happens to their jobs and their communities when they are forced to compete with Chinese companies that break the rules, pay poverty wages, and are propped up by the government. We are working to change that this week

I want the technologies that will drive the next generation of U.S. economic growth and manufacturing--from semiconductors to hydrogen buses to the next-generation jet engine--to be developed in America and to put people to work in good-paying jobs in our country.

This is something we should all agree on. It is what we are working to do with this comprehensive, bipartisan bill.

This package is packed with investment in research and development, technology, and high-tech domestic manufacturing that will again set us up to lead the world. It supports American manufacturing and innovation. It gives businesses the tools to compete. It supports American workers--the engine behind our success.

It includes my Build America, Buy America Act to strengthen our ``Buy American'' rules and ensure that American tax dollars go towards American-made products that create American jobs.

This provision is the result of bipartisan partnership. I would like to thank my colleague from my State, Senator Portman, and also Senators Peters and Stabenow from Michigan, Senator Baldwin from Wisconsin, and Senator Braun from Indiana for their work.

Our legislation would apply ``Buy American'' rules to all taxpayer- funded infrastructure and public works projects. When we ensure our tax dollars are spent on American products, these tax dollars go further in the economy. We employ more workers who spend on local businesses and lift up everyone.

When we say ``Buy American,'' we mean ``Buy American''--not import a steel slab from China, make it into a pipe, and stamp on it ``Made in America.'' We need to make sure these rules are thorough, tough, and effective. That is exactly what this provision does.

This bill also gives our country tough new tools to crack down on China's cheating.

Banking and Housing Committee Ranking Member Toomey and I worked together on an amendment to take on Chinese espionage against our economy. The amendment is the product of months of bipartisan negotiation. I thank Senator Toomey and his bipartisan staff.

The Presiding Officer, Senator Ossoff, is a new member of that committee and has contributed greatly on this and other projects we have done.

Our plan directly confronts action by the Chinese Government and Chinese firms that hurt American workers and companies by stealing their valuable intellectual property. These measures were developed by Senator Van Hollen. They require mandatory imposition of powerful new sanctions on Chinese actors who steal U.S. trade secrets.

The United States remains a global center for research, development, and innovation, and for years, people have been stealing our ideas. China is the worst offender; we know that. The Chinese Government and the companies it props up engage in systematic and growing espionage against our businesses and our workers. The theft of trade secrets costs the United States as much as $540 billion every year.

Our plan would give the President new tools to go after Chinese actors who target our country with cyber attacks. Americans have all seen over the past few weeks how serious cyber attacks are, how they can disrupt our entire economy. We need strong tools to punish these attackers and the countries that finance and support them.

Sanctions are just one new tool this package includes to increase American competitiveness.

We will build on the success of our bipartisan Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act to create more manufacturing innovation hubs around the country.

Back in 2014, I worked with Republican Senator Roy Blunt and the Obama administration to pass the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act. This landmark bill created a national network of advanced manufacturing hubs. It was one of the biggest steps we had taken as a country in a long time to make our manufacturing more competitive.

America Makes in Youngstown--the first of its kind, the first in this program--started as a pilot program back 9 years ago. It became the first hub in that network.

I thank my colleagues for their work on this. I thank especially two members of my staff who are on the floor today, Abigail Duggan and Megan Malara, for the work they have done. I thank my colleagues for moving forward on this very important act.

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