EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans List Reasons Why They Think Major Bill Hurts US Competitiveness With China

Republican Texas Rep. Lance Gooden sent a letter Wednesday to House and Senate leadership calling on them to remove certain provisions in a bill that is designed to make the U.S. more competitive with China.

The letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, was spearheaded by Gooden and signed by five Republicans. In the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the House Republicans call for certain provisions in the America COMPETES Act to be removed from the bill.

The America COMPETES Act was introduced by Democrats in late January and includes millions in appropriations for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, something many Republicans are not pleased with. Gooden and House Republicans are concerned about it hurting the U.S.’s competitiveness with China, especially the immigration provisions.

Democrats and Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger voted for the House version of the bill, which would provide $52 billion for domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing and $45 billion to support supply chains. Florida Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy was the only Democrat in the House who voted against the legislation.

READ THE LETTER HERE: 

(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers

The Republican lawmakers argue that in the House version, the bill would allow for an unlimited number of green cards for “high-skilled” foreign nationals with no protections for American workers. The letter asks leadership to help protect American workers and U.S. national security by removing the immigration provisions in the bill.

“Included in the legislation is a ‘green card giveaway’ that sets no limits on the number of foreign nationals, who may take advantage of the program, nor does it establish a minimum standard for the skills of those foreign nationals or protections for American workers,” the letter reads.

“House Democrats continue to prioritize China at the expense of the American worker, our national security, and our economic competitiveness abroad. The immigration provisions of the COMPETES Act would result in an endless stream of foreign nationals who would take jobs from United States citizens. These provisions must be removed from the bill or the United States will continue to lose the race with communist China,” Gooden told the Daily Caller before sending the letter.

The letter was signed by Texas Rep. Jake Elzey, Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks and Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert. (RELATED: Democrats’ China Bill Hands Out Millions For ‘Diversity’ Programs)

The Daily Caller contacted McCarthy, Pelosi, McConnell and Schumer’s offices about the letter. McConnell’s office referred the Caller to Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office, but would not comment on McConnell’s views. The other offices did not immediately respond.