Davids amendment makes it into bill to fund science and manufacturing, combat China

Rep. Sharice Davids' measure to help small manufacturers get federal money to ease shortages of protective medical gear passed the House of Representatives Friday, nearly two years after it was originally proposed.

"For years, we have been too reliant on goods made in other countries," Davids said in a speech on the floor of the House Wednesday. "Those supply chain weaknesses continue to contribute to rising prices and inflation. We should be making more in America, and we have many small businesses in Kansas and across the country that are willing and able to step up to the plate."

Davids sponsored an amendment to the larger America COMPETES Act that would make sure that small and medium-sized manufacturers are included in a $500 million pilot program that allows the government to enter into agreements with businesses to produce personal protective equipment and medical supplies.

The issue came to Davids attention in 2020, when a Kansas factory owned by Dentec Safety Specialists approached her in attempts to get a grant to produce N95 masks in the early stages of the pandemic. In May 2020, she proposed a bill that would have created a $100 million grant program to help small manufacturers produce medical gear and covid testing supplies.

The COMPETES Act, which passed the House of Representatives 222-210 on Friday morning, invests around $250 billion in scientific research and manufacturing in an effort to address supply chain issues that have driven up prices across the country and send a political message to combat China's rising global influence.

The bill also contains $52 billion to spur the production of computer chips. There's been a global shortage of the chips over the course of the pandemic, creating a ripple effect in the supply chain, causing companies to reduce production and driving up prices.

Davids visited Cherub Medical Supply in Shawnee last week to talk about the shortage of chips that has forced the pediatric medical supplier to deal with long waitlists.

In her floor speech introducing the bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill's investments in manufacturing are an attempt to reduce the reliance on countries like China for goods that can kneecap the economy.

"Central to COMPETES is a strong action taken to hold the [People's Republic of China] accountable for its trade abuses, which hurt U.S. workers, and for its human rights violations, including its genocide against the Uyghurs," Pelosi said. "People have to understand the connection between human rights violations and fairness to American workers. "

A similar bill passed the Senate last year with bipartisan support, which leaves Democrats optimistic that they'll be able to pass a version of the bill in a bipartisan way, similar to the infrastructure bill that passed in 2021.

But the measure still faces Republican opposition. After the vote Friday, Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler said the bill spent too much money and denounced the fact that Democrats blocked several of her amendments from being added to the bill.

"Unfortunately, the Democrats have once again rushed through a massive package riddled with partisan and unvetted policies, ignoring input from Republicans," Hartzler said. "We cannot address the threat of China in a partisan manner. Too much is at stake."

The bill comes as Democrats face a difficult reelection year in 2022. While typically the president's party loses seats in the midterm election after he takes office, inflation and issues with the supply chain — which contribute to President Joe Biden's low approval rating — have Republicans optimistic of their chances to take back the House of Representatives.

If it passes, the bill could serve as a way for Democrats to argue that they're addressing supply chain problems while also appearing tough on China, two political issues that could play a significant role in campaigns across the country this year.

Davids may face a competitive reelection campaign this fall. While she beat her likely Republican opponent, Amanda Adkins, by 10 percentage points in 2020, the Kansas legislature is attempting to pass a redistricting bill that would make her seat significantly more competitive.

Under the new map Davids would lose the heavily Democratic northern part of Wyandotte County and pick up much more conservative counties to the South. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed the redrawn lines Thursday, which will force Republicans to secure enough votes to override her veto if they hope to keep the map.