Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this legislation.

When I recently visited with a manufacturer in my district whose products are highly dependent on access to chips, they told me that chips only comprise 5 percent of their supply chain challenges.

Chips are one of 10 sectors where China is seeking to break American dominance. This bill does not address our issues with China. It certainly doesn't address the other nine issues where China is also seeking to break American dominance.

For the same cost of these chips provisions, we could enact better R&D policy, ensure interest expensing, and bring IP back to the U.S. Broad-based policies would help all sectors of our economy.

I am as disappointed by what is not in this bill as I am disappointed with what is in it.

I am disappointed this bill doesn't include reauthorizations of noncontroversial trade policies which waive tariffs on manufacturing inputs for our domestic manufacturers and ensure fair treatment of U.S. products when we export them to developing countries.

Renewing these longstanding policies would help address our supply chain crisis, yet House Democrats refuse to bring reasonable reauthorizations to the floor.

This bill falls short. It is the wrong bill at the wrong time, and I will be voting ``no.'' I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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