Senate passes bipartisan bill to boost tech competitiveness with China

The Senate on Tuesday passed bipartisan legislation to boost science and technology research for the United States to better compete with China.

In a vote of 68-32, the chamber passed the 60-vote threshold needed. The U.S Innovation and Competition Act, which is also known as the Endless Frontier Act, now heads to the House.

Senators struck a bipartisan deal on the legislation last month before leaving for recess, but a handful of Republican senators decided to temporarily block passage to make a point on other issues, including the U.S. southern border wall.

The bill would commit nearly $250 billion to promote emerging technologies in the United States that China’s government is working to promote as well, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, computer chips, the lithium batteries used in smart devices and electric vehicles, and robotics.

The passing of the bills comes a time when bipartisan negotiations often are stalled or ongoing on a variety of issues, including infrastructure, policing reform, gun control, and immigration. The China competitiveness bill, which was authored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young, has been one of the first recent attempts at legislating using regular order.

U.S. intelligence officials said in an April assessment that China is among a list of countries considered a global threat to American interests. China’s handling of the early coronavirus outbreak within its borders also worsened tension, while the disruption to worldwide supply chains raised concerns about whether the U.S. had become too dependent on manufacturers abroad for things like medical supplies, from China or elsewhere.

Young said in a tweet on Tuesday, that the bill’s passage shows that “at this moment, we stood united in our fight against the Chinese Communist Party.”

Biden, who has criticized China and has made increasing competitiveness with Beijing an administrative priority, praised its passage in a statement.

“By strengthening our innovation infrastructure, we can lay the foundation for the next generation of American jobs and American leadership in manufacturing and technology,” he said. “We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off. As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind. America must maintain its position as the most innovative and productive nation on Earth.”

The bill will head to the Democrat-controlled House, but its fate is unclear there. Schumer said during a press conference on Tuesday he plans to work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, to get the bill to the president’s desk.

“That’s one of the most major and significant pieces of legislation we passed in a long time, which is going to have a huge effect on the future of the American economy and American jobs,” Schumer said. “It’s the largest investment in scientific research and technological innovation in generations. It sets the United States on a path to lead the world in the industries of the future.”