Chair DeLauro Secures Trade, Education, and Public Health Provisions in the America COMPETES Act

Statement

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today secured trade, education, and public health provisions in the America COMPETES Act of 2022 that passed the house this morning.

"The America COMPETES Act is a historic package," said DeLauro. "It makes strategic investments to strengthen supply chains, protect our national security, and bolster our economic competitiveness. It gives us the tools to fight for jobs here at home and protect our critical supply chains while addressing key trade challenges. It appropriates billions for critically-needed semiconductors and billions to address broken supply chains, doubling down on our commitment for American-made innovation to prevent future shortages and disruptions."

The American COMPETES Act includes key provisions led by Chair DeLauro:

National Critical Capabilities Defense Act -- Legislation introduced by Representatives DeLauro (D-CT), Pascrell (D-NJ), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Spartz (R-IN) to establish a review process that would protect the United States supply chain from foreign adversaries like China and Russia.

Investments in Civics Education--Language from DeLauro's bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act, introduced by Representatives DeLauro (D-CT), Cole (R-OK), and Blumenauer (D-OR) and Senators Coons (D-DE) and Cornyn (R-TX), to sustain the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation and James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.

Renewal of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program--TAA reverted at the end of June 2021 to an insufficient program with limited funding and coverage that does not help workers whose jobs are outsourced to countries with which the US does not have a Free Trade Agreement, such as China. Renewing TAA with robust funding and support is critical to American workers and families who lose their jobs to trade.

Food and Drug Administration Mandatory Recall Authority over Drug Products--Language DeLauro secured in the House-passed fiscal year 2021 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill to expand FDA's mandatory recall authority to include drug products.

MINKS Act Amendment--Legislation introduced by DeLauro to prohibit the possession, transportation, and sale of captively raised mink for fur production.
"I am proud that this legislation includes key trade, education, and public health provisions I fought to include," DeLauro continued. "With a robust renewal of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, we are supporting American workers who have lost their jobs because of trade practices by other countries. The COMPETES Act also includes the National Critical Capability Defense Act that establishes a screening process to protect critical supply chains and our manufacturing capacity. Language from my bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act will help foster our next generation of leaders. This critical legislation also helps protect public health by giving the FDA the mandatory recall authority it needs to protect families from the risks posed by unsafe drugs and ending the factory farming of mink that threatens public health as we continue fighting COVID-19."

DeLauro's remarks delivered on the house Floor in support of the American COMPETES Act are here.

Here are DeLauro's statements applauding the trade provisions, the amendment banning mink factory farming, the inclusion of critical civics education priorities, and provisions giving the FDA mandatory recall authority over drug products.

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