Pappas advocates for NH manufacturers, veterans in competitiveness bill negotiations
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), a key negotiator on the Conference Committee crafting the domestic manufacturing and competitiveness legislation in Congress, joined the first meeting of the Committee today and spoke forcefully about the need for final, bipartisan legislation to support New Hampshire’s manufacturing economy and our veterans.
Pappas supported the America COMPETES Act and fought to pass the legislation in February to make transformational new investments in research, innovation, and American manufacturing that will ensure that America can outcompete any nation in the world, now and for decades to come. That legislation also included several provisions introduced and co-led by Pappas to strengthen ‘Made in America’ provisions and support small manufacturers and rural businesses.
Pappas delivered the following remarks in the first meeting of the Conference Committee meeting on Thursday:
Thank you very much, Chairman Tester.
I’m really glad to be able to join this conference committee and to get to work in a bipartisan fashion on crucial legislation that’s going to ensure that we make more of our goods here at home, that we lower costs for families, and that we out-compete any nation including China.
This work is of utmost important importance to my constituents and my small businesses in New Hampshire.
And during the development of the House bill, I submitted four amendments that were included, and I hope to have retained.
Among them is the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, which will support domestic manufacturing and our national security by ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security procures as much protective gear as possible from US manufacturers and small businesses.
In addition to this key provision, I hope to work across the aisle to retain the measures that would support rural businesses, and help them access export markets, improve access and resiliency grants for our coastal communities, and expand the STEM workforce.
And to help address our supply chain crisis, we must ensure that this final package makes significant investments in the domestic production of semiconductor chips.
Finally, as we consider the portions of this bill that will impact our veterans, I’ll work to ensure that this package addresses the supply chain issues that VA face in recent years, particularly with regard to access to personal protective equipment and other crucial medical supplies.
Our VA facilities must never again, be unprepared for a crisis like they were over the last two years, and this legislation must ensure they have the resources to care for our heroes.
I’m ready to work together taking the best ideas from Republicans and Democrats to make sure that we build consensus to get this done for the American people.
Because it’s vital that we get this bill negotiated, we get it passed and signed into law and secure America’s global competitiveness in a way that bolsters domestic manufacturing and strengthens our workforce and supply chains.
So the future of our economy is at stake. Let’s make this century another American century.
Let’s get to work, work through the differences and get this done. I yield back.