Tester on China Competition Legislation: ‘We have an opportunity to create jobs, grow our economy’

Senator is only member of the Montana delegation on the conference committee tasked with negotiating the final legislation

Continuing his push to make sure the United States remains the world’s leading economic power in the face of the rise of China, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today laid out a path forward during the first public session of the bipartisan, bicameral conference committee on the America COMPETES Act, the critical American jobs and China competitiveness legislation aimed at creating good-paying jobs, bolstering the supply chain, and boosting research and development of new technologies.

The conference committee is tasked with reconciling the Senate and House passed versions of the legislation in order to come to a final agreement. Tester is the only member of the Montana delegation who received an appointment to the committee.

“We have an incredible opportunity in this conference committee, not to score Republican points or score Democratic points, but to score points for America,” Tester said. “We have an opportunity to create jobs, grow our economy, strengthen our supply chain, jumpstart the domestic semiconductor industry, and secure our nation’s future for our kids and our grandkids. And we can do this if we work for America, not for the parties.”

Tester continued: “We need to make the crucial research and development investments necessary to bring back good-paying jobs, and the next generation of jobs, back to America. And this isn’t just to urban America, it’s to rural America too. There’s incredible potential in rural areas all across our country, and if we don’t harness that potential, we’re going to make a huge mistake.”

The America COMPETES Act makes key investments that will maintain our country’s competitive edge over China for decades to come by bringing jobs to rural America, investing in the productions of semiconductor chips, strengthening supply chains, and boosting research and development. Once the conference committee completes its work negotiating the final language of the bill, both the Senate and the House will pass the legislation again and send it to the President’s desk.

In the coming weeks, Senator Tester will use his position on this conference committee to push for policies that will ensure America stays the world’s leading economic power and increase investments in innovation in rural America. Combatting the rise of China as an economic and military power across the globe is one of Senator Tester’s top priorities as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.