The House passed a bill aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness with China

The House passed a bill aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness with China

Transcript¹

The House passed a bill Friday that Democrats² say will increase U.S. semiconductor³ manufacturing and boost American competitiveness with China.

The America Competes Act passed 222-210, largely along party lines.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the bill "will ensure that America is preeminent⁴ in manufacturing, innovation and economic strength and can outcompete any nation."

The bill has a number of provisions, including $52 billion to make chips, $45 billion to improve supply chains for critical items and $160 billion for scientific research and innovation.

House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, told NPR that a major federal infusion⁵ in research is badly overdue⁶ — especially to help the U.S. go toe-to-toe with China.

"We've just got to compete. And we've got to hopefully feel like we're a little step ahead. And that's really a big goal," Johnson told NPR. "Because as you know, our society is very different in the kind of freedom versus⁷ communism type of behaviors."

Johnson said the legislation was also aimed at developing talent in the U.S. and fostering innovations in government labs that private companies could tap into for future products. Much of the research pieces in the bill, which has been in the works for years, included input⁸ from a range of private industry, academic experts and scientists who argue the U.S. needs a long-term commitment to seeding future breakthroughs that will prevent more jobs and manufacturing from moving overseas.

Florida Republican Congressman⁹ Daniel Webster told NPR he backed the research agenda, but felt the House bill concentrated to much of the effort at the federal level.

"We're trying to get something that is less government and more open private sector¹⁰. What they're doing is basically trying to get a government-funded program to decide all the things that are happening. Just not going to go for that," he said.

Many House Republicans defended their vote against the bill by saying it did not do enough to counter China, is loaded up with other priorities, such as clean energy, and would worsen inflation.

The bill is the House's reply to $250 billion bipartisan competition bill, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the Senate passed last June.

The two chambers¹¹ will spend the next weeks hammering out the differences between the two bills and eventually send it to President Biden's desk.

While the Senate bill also has more than $50 billion for chip manufacturing, it takes a different approach in how the $250 billion it has earmarked for scientific research should be used.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who helped broker¹² the bipartisan deal in the Senate, which garnered¹³ the support of 19 Republicans, downplayed the differences between the two bills.

"The framework they set up and the framework we set up are not that far apart," he said. "I believe all the gaps are very bridgeable."

Schumer said investments in American manufacturing are long overdue. Proponents¹⁴ of the bill, however, admitted that it will still take some time to see the impact of the federal investments.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

4 preeminent   

adj.卓越的，杰出的

参考例句：

• Washington was recognized as the preeminent spokesman of American Negroes by 1895. 到1895年,华盛顿被公认为美国黑人的卓越代言人。
• He is preeminent because his articles are well written. 他的文章写得很漂亮,卓尔不群。

5 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

6 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

7 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

8 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

12 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

13 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

14 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句