Shaheen, Senate Democrats Unveil Priorities on New U.S. Global Competitiveness Effort to Counter Influence & Aggression from People’s Republic of China

Senator Shaheen participates in a press conference about Democratic priorities in future U.S. global competitiveness legislation at the U.S. Capitol earlier today.

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, joined Democratic leadership and other Appropriations and committee chairs to preview their priorities in upcoming legislation that builds off the historic CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, protect American jobs and ensure America’s global leadership for generations to come. 

Shaheen said, in part, “The pacing threat for the United States is the People’s Republic of China: both militarily and economically.” Shaheen went on to underscore the need to build on investments through the historic CHIPS and Science Act, and the significant funding she worked to usher through Congress as Chair of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee that funds pivotal research and development programs through agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce.  

Shaheen also shared concerns she heard from a New Hampshire circuit board manufacturer earlier today about the need to invest in domestic manufacturing, as well as the looming debt limit deadline and severe repercussions if Republicans force a default.  

She shared, “He said, ‘well, you know – over 90 percent of so many of our electronics and chips, printed circuit boards, are made in Asia. If we’re going to compete, we‘ve got to do better.’ And the biggest threat he saw is default because default would be catastrophic for the business community.” 

Watch Shaheen’s remarks in full here.

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