On Tuesday, the Senate approved bipartisan law intended to counter Beijing’s emerging influence by spending above two hundred billion in American science, research, and technology.
The final vote count was 32-68. Vermont’s Bernie Sanders found the only ally of the Democratic group to decline or go against the bill. Moreover, 19 Senate GOP members tied up with Democrats voting for passage.
The passage is a success for Chuck Schumer (Majority Leader), a NY Democrat who strongly supported and co-wrote the guideline, and also for Joe Biden (American President), who appeared across the aisle a primary vow of his governing plan, albeit he had to deal with heavy criticism for going individually on his major program items to this point.
Source: Web
Schumer described that the comprehensive law, known as the United States ICA (Innovation and Competition Act), intends to oppose Beijing’s influence on many fronts, and it will supercharge American innovation and preserve their competitive edge for generations to come.
The bill is still awaiting to be approved
The legislation still requires to approve by the House of Representatives before reaching Joe Biden’s desk. Furthermore, Gregory Meeks (the House Foreign Affairs Chairman) presented corresponding legislation in the House of Representatives earlier month, but it is ambiguous when that bill will get a vote.
A concluding vote on the legislation was postponed until after the Memorial Day break to accommodate critics from the GOP members of the legislation who claimed on having additional time to show their fears.
Several main Senate GOP members, including Mitch McConnell (Minority Leader), threatened for weeks that they will reject the bill until they attained additional votes on Republican-supported revisions. On Tuesday, before the legislation’s passage, Mitch McConnell again said that Schumer shut discussion on the legislation very soon, and the bill is imperfect.
Besides this worry, the Republican of Kentucky hyped the significance of the bill and described that it hits on important issues that will assist determine their strategic footing for decades. He continued that it adds many smart targeted guidelines, but leaves several more on the table, and it will advance as an flawed approach to a highly consequential challenge.
