[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON SOLAR INDUSTRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to an 
executive branch decision that will have a significant negative impact 
on the U.S. domestic solar industry, including in northwest Ohio, the 
home of the largest domestic solar production platform on this 
continent.
  Last week, the U.S. Treasury issued initial guidance allowing solar 
project developers to qualify for a 10 percent domestic content bonus, 
even if the solar panels they use are made with foreign silicon wafers, 
97 percent of which are produced in--guess where--China.
  The new interpretation of the domestic content bonus established as 
part of the Inflation Reduction Act squanders a rare and critical 
opportunity to spur the renaissance of an end-to-end domestic solar 
manufacturing supply chain. It also ultimately rewards those who cut 
corners, offshore U.S. jobs, and buy cheaper subcomponents produced in 
China.
  This administration must not allow China to undercut domestic 
manufacturers and American workers, and we all know how that is done 
with China's predatory practices.
  Take steel. What China does is produce four times what the globe 
consumes annually in steel. Then they strategically dump it, including 
here, and drive down prices and drive out domestic manufacturing. We 
know the gig. We can't accept it.
  Giving additional tax benefits to predatory practices and those who 
strategically cut corners to undermine fair trade rewards their bad 
behavior.
  When a product is given the benefit of being called American made, 
that should include all steps and stages in the production process and 
its supply chain, including those silica-based chips.
  ``Made in the USA'' means made in the USA. The Biden administration 
should pay attention.

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