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Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) voted to pass the America COMPETES Act to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and support good-paying jobs by ramping up domestic semiconductor production, making American businesses more competitive, investing in research and development, and addressing supply chain vulnerabilities.

“For too long, American manufacturing has been on a downslide, hurting U.S. leadership and competitiveness around the globe,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “With our passage of the America COMPETES Act, we're taking action to bring business and jobs back home by making investments to reignite American research, development, and innovation. The benefits of these investments in key areas like chip production and shoring up our supply chain will be felt by Virginia businesses, workers, and consumers for long into the future.”

The America COMPETES Act makes new investments in U.S. research, innovation, and manufacturing, including:

• Creating the CHIPS for America Fund to restore American leadership in semiconductor production and promote technological innovation

• Strengthening the supply chain to prevent shortages of critical goods and ensure more of those goods are made here at home in the U.S.

• Investing in research and development to advance America’s scientific leadership and tackle issues like climate change, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, while supporting a strong and diverse STEM workforce

• Advancing American competitiveness across the globe by enhancing support for our partnerships and alliances and expanding U.S. investments in diplomacy and human rights

Additionally, the bill contains key priorities that Congresswoman Wexton has championed, including granting Priority 2 refugee status for Uyghurs fleeing genocide and expanding sanctions for human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

A section-by-section summary of the America COMPETES Act can be found here.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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