[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 118 (Monday, July 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3319-S3320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business Before the Senate

  Now, Madam President, the Senate gavels back in for the second week 
of an exceedingly busy work period. There is a lot we must do quickly 
to lower costs and improve the lives of American families.
  On the nominations front, we will continue confirming as many of 
President Biden's qualified judges and administrative appointees as 
possible. Last week, the Senate confirmed our 70th Biden-appointed 
Federal judge, on a voice vote, and this week we intend to keep going 
by confirming Judge Michelle Childs, of South Carolina, to serve as a 
circuit judge on the very, very important DC Circuit.
  Very soon, the Senate must also take swift action to pass the PACT 
Act for a second time in order to correct a technical error that arose 
in the House. This legislation will be the most important healthcare 
reform bill that our veterans have seen in years, and there is 
absolutely no justification--none whatsoever--to delay the swift 
passage of this bill.
  And, most importantly, the U.S. Senate must finish work on one of the 
most urgent priorities facing this Chamber: addressing the chip 
shortage that is hurting American consumers, decimating our supply 
chains, and endangering our national security.

  For the information of all, tomorrow, we are going to hold the first 
procedural vote on legislation to address these critical issues, which 
both sides have been working on for months. As we speak, Democrats and 
Republicans are hashing out the final details on a bill so we can move 
forward this week.
  The chip shortage is not some abstract issue; it is impacting the 
daily

[[Page S3320]]

lives of millions of Americans. Cars, refrigerators, and other 
household appliances require chips to function, but supply shortages 
mean prices have gone up and up and up for those goods, and Americans 
have to wait months just to get a hold of them. If you want to help 
with inflation and get it down, this bill is an important bill to vote 
for, and we can take a giant step toward fixing this problem if we act 
now.
  Last week, the Secretaries of Commerce and Defense told us plainly 
that ``our economic and national security depends on our ability to 
invest in the technologies of today and tomorrow.''
  So, again, we need to move quickly.
  Right now, some of the most important manufacturers in our country 
are weighing where to make their investments in semiconductor 
production. Many of them are holding off on final decisions to see what 
Congress does, but they are not going to wait around forever.
  As one company told the Wall Street Journal, ``Without these 
incentives [from Congress], the capital investment required for 
[expanding production] is not economically viable in the United States 
given other global alternatives.''
  Other countries have copied our legislation, and they are offering 
companies huge amounts of money to locate there, and that, of course, 
will endanger our security--economic and national. The message is not 
subtle. If countries do not think it is profitable to make chips here 
in America, they are going to go somewhere else.
  Countless good-paying American jobs are on the line, and billions of 
dollars in economic activity are on the line. As I said, our national 
security is at stake. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to move 
forward tomorrow.
  Of course, as we work on chips legislation this week, I urge my 
colleagues on the conference committee to continue finalizing the 
larger jobs and innovation package that both sides have been working on 
for months.
  I want to see this Chamber send a compromise bill to the President's 
desk because this is so important for the future of our country and for 
our national security. I have worked for more than a year with 
Republicans to get a competition and innovation bill done, so I 
strongly support my colleagues as they keep working.
  In the meantime, we must take steps to get chips done as soon as we 
can. This is about lowering costs, increasing manufacturing, and making 
sure we are competitive with our rivals abroad.
  The 21st century will belong to nations willing to invest in the 
technologies and innovations of tomorrow. I want to get there first, 
but to do that, the Senate must act this week.

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