(Washington) The US Senate voted on Monday the passage of a text which should allow, with tens of billions of dollars, to strengthen the industry of the United States in the face of competition from China in key sectors such as semis -drivers.
Posted at 10:01 p.m.
A similar bill, the “America COMPETES act”, was passed by the House of Representatives in February. The two assemblies of Congress will now try to agree on a common text, prefiguring long negotiations to come on Capitol Hill.
If he reached the end of the process, this text would be “one of the most important achievements” of the current legislature, estimated the Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer.
“This bill, with all its provisions, is centered around two main points: to create more jobs in the United States and to lower prices for American families,” added the elected official.
“It will help bring down prices by making it easier to produce, here at home, crucial technologies like semiconductors,” he continued. “This will create jobs with the relocation of factories. »
“Today’s vote shows there is clear cross-party agreement for these kinds of investments, which the President has long supported,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. .
Chuck Schumer and his opponent, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate Mitch McConnell, discussed starting negotiations on the text as early as April, for a final vote in May or June.
The Senate and House versions both provide $52 billion to revitalize research and industry. A potential success that President Joe Biden could claim during the campaign for the mid-term elections, scheduled for November.
The “America COMPETES act” voted in early February in the House of Representatives, however, includes many provisions that annoy Republicans, who accuse it of attaching too much importance to the fight against climate change, human rights or social inequalities.
Reaching an agreement within the ad hoc committee responsible for reaching a common text between the two chambers will require the favorable vote of many elected Republicans.
This project should allow the emergence of a new generation of innovations in the United States, said Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
“The first nation that manages to master the technologies of tomorrow will be able to shape the world in its own image,” he declared in the hemicycle.
“America can’t afford second place when it comes to technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, quantum computers, semiconductors, bioengineering and more,” he added. of New York State.