February 04, 2022

Congressman Castro Votes to Create Jobs, Strengthen the Supply Chain, and Advance U.S. Global Leadership through the America COMPETES Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) and Chair of the HFAC Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations and Global Corporate Social Impact voted to pass the bipartisan America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (America COMPETES) Act of 2022. The legislation includes a number of bills and provisions authored by Congressman Castro that will expand domestic apprenticeship programs, strengthen American diplomacy and leadership, and promote democratic values around the world.

“The United States is at our best when we strengthen the Infrastructure of Opportunity at home and set an example of leadership and diplomacy around the world,” said Congressman Castro. “The bipartisan America COMPETES Act will accelerate our economic recovery from the pandemic by tackling inflation and creating good jobs while advancing our position on the global stage. I’m proud to have authored provisions of this bill that will protect our national security, reignite our alliances, and create the workforce development opportunities Americans deserve.”

The America COMPETES Act will accelerate U.S. production of semiconductor chips, strengthen the supply chain to reduce inflation, expand U.S. manufacturing, and advance U.S. global competitiveness while supporting strong labor standards and human rights. A full fact sheet on the bill can be found here.

Legislation in the America COMPETES Act authored and advocated for by Congressman Castro includes:

  • The Castro-Spanberger Strengthening Youth Apprenticeships Act (H.R. 518) to support and expand domestic youth apprenticeship opportunities in both secondary and post-secondary education.
  • An amendment to the National Apprenticeship Act to expand domestic apprenticeship opportunities in the media and entertainment industries.
  • The bipartisan Castro-Merkley-Meijer-Rubio-Warren-Cornyn bill to establish the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group (H.R. 3695) to expose the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to exchange fair market access for coerced public silence and hold the Chinese government and private actors accountable for their actions.
  • Key provisions of the Castro-Markey-Lieu-Merkley Saudi WMD Act (H.R. 2506) to counter the People’s Republic of China’s proliferation of ballistic missile and nuclear technology to the Middle East.
  • Key provisions of the Castro-Jacobs Restoring U.S. Leadership in International Organizations Act of 2021 (H.R. 3812) to strengthen United States leadership at the United Nations and other international organizations, including:
    • Establishing as U.S. policy that the United States ambassador to the United Nations serve as a member of the President’s cabinet.
    • Affirming that U.S. dues to multilateral organizations are paid in full in a timely fashion.
    • Strengthening mechanisms to detail or transfer federal government employees to serve at international organizations, as many other countries do.
  • Provisions to strengthen the U.S. Development Finance Corporation by increasing its liability cap from $60 billion to $100 billion and requiring its equity investments to be treated as consistent with the Federal Credit Reform Act, significantly improving its ability to make investments to support international development goals. These provisions will allow the United States to better invest in high-quality global development and infrastructure.
  • The Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act (H.R. 3696) to define U.S. interests in the Indian Ocean region and strengthen U.S. engagement with allies and partners in this critical part of the Indo-Pacific.
  • The bipartisan Castro-Tenney Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) Act (H.R. 4213) to strengthen people-to-people engagement between the United States and the nations of Southeast Asia

The America COMPETES Act also includes several provisions that Congressman Castro directly advocated for or supported through legislative action, including: 

  • Establishing a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to promote ties between legislators of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, all of whom are key partners with shared values and interests in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Extending the statutory authorization of the Global Engagement Center, an innovative Department of State office that counters disinformation by U.S. adversaries. The current authorization is due to expire in 2024. This provision would extend the authorization to 2027 and is consistent with earlier bipartisan efforts by Congressman Castro and Congressman Mike Gallagher to extend the office’s authorization through the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act.

The foreign policy provisions secured by Congressman Castro are part of his commitment to strengthen U.S. infrastructure for diplomacy and development, building on his efforts as chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations and Global Corporate Social Impact and his leadership as a founding co-chair of the U.S.-Japan Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).