CRIST: COMPETES ACT WILL CUT INFLATION, STRENGTHEN SUPPLY CHAIN

Press Release

Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) today announced his support of the America COMPETES Act, comprehensive legislation that will boost domestic innovation and manufacturing, fight inflation, maintain American global competitiveness, create good-paying jobs, improve supply chains, beat China, and combat the climate crisis.

"To combat inflation and cut rising prices for millions of Floridians, we need to stop relying on China and global supply chains that are vulnerable to delays and disruptions - like a global pandemic," said Rep. Crist. "The America COMPETES Act is a game changer for American manufacturing and innovation, so we can make more of the things we need right here at home and use American workers to do it. I proudly support this legislation championed by President Biden and congressional Democrats to keep our shelves stocked and prices low. Make American! Buy American!"
More specifically, America COMPETES Act takes several steps to strengthen supply chains, keep products on shelves, and lower the cost of goods, including:
Creating a new office to closely monitor the status of the nation's supply chain, identify gaps and vulnerabilities that may disrupt the availability of goods, and respond to disruptions;

$45 billion for Critical Supply Chain Resilience to prevent shortages of goods and boost American manufacturing;

$1.5 billion to enhance the medical supply chain and prevent drug shortages; and

$52 billion to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and maintain America's technological leadership. Semiconductors are found in thousands of products, including cell phones, home appliances, and medical equipment, making them critical to everyday life, our economy, and national security.

As a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Congressman Crist helped advance a number of provisions in the America COMPETES Act, including:
Modernizing and increasing funding for the National Science Foundation;

Investing in the fight against climate change by funding research and development in solar energy, energy storage, fusion energy, bioenergy, and other advanced energy solutions;

Improving access to STEM education and career opportunities for women, minorities, underrepresented groups, and those living in underserved areas;

Combatting sexual harassment in the sciences; and

Expanding and increasing funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program that serves to advance U.S. manufacturing and fuel the economy.

Additionally, Representative Crist successfully advocated for several other provisions addressing issues impacting Florida, including:
Directing 22 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate the collapse of Champlain Towers South that occurred on June 24th in Surfside, Florida.

Immediately following the collapse, Crist called for a full investigation into the Surfside tragedy. Additionally, as members of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Reps. Crist and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D -- FL) secured funding and report language for NIST to investigate building collapses like the one that occurred at Surfside.

$3 billion to boost domestic solar energy manufacturing to help combat the climate crisis without relying on Chinese or other foreign-made materials.

Supporting Florida's marine life and improving response efforts for marine mammal deaths and strandings -- including the record number of manatee deaths that have occurred in Florida over the last year -- through the creation of:

A Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform to collect and report data about marine mammal deaths, facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders, and better direct response efforts. This will also help identify patterns in mortality events and improve forecasting of future events; and

A new program called the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund to allow local governments and nonprofits to quickly access funding to treat sick and injured marine mammals.

Over the last year, a record number of manatee deaths were reported, largely due to starvation as a result of seagrass die-offs. Both of these provisions would improve response efforts and help protect Florida's most iconic marine animal.

Fully funding the U.S. Caribbean Resilience Partnership to strengthen natural disaster resilience and response efforts for our closest neighbors.

Expanding the President's ability to sanction members of authoritarian regimes who commit human rights violations. This authority has been used to hold members of socialist and communist regimes across Latin America accountable for their actions, including Cuba and Nicaragua.

Source