Pence bill clears House with support from Democrats

WASHINGTON — A bill authored by Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, has passed the GOP-controlled House — but with more support from Democrats than Republicans.

The bill, called the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2023, would direct the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to conduct an interagency review on ways to boost the global competitiveness of the United States to attract foreign direct investment and report findings to Congress.

The measure cleared the House in a 386-22 vote on Monday, with all 22 votes against the bill coming from Republicans, according to congressional records. Democrats voted 195-0 to send the bill to the Senate, while Republicans voted 191-22. Eight Republicans and 17 Democrats did not cast votes.

Most of the Republican opposition to the bill came from members of Congress who have been associated with the House Freedom Caucus, an ultraconservative bloc of lawmakers that recently blocked routine votes in the House and brought the chamber to a halt due to their displeasure over the compromise that Speaker Kevin McCarthy struck with President Joe Biden over the debt ceiling.

The bill did not receive enough Republican votes to clear the GOP-controlled House without support from Democrats.

“For decades, China has built a calculated strategy to corner global supply chains and gain access to U.S. markets,” Pence said in a statement. “As the (Chinese Communist Party) continues to try to outpace our economy, it is crucial that we leverage investments from allied nations. My legislation … secures America’s position as a major global leader on the world stage by encouraging foreign direct investment in our nation.”

The review proposed in the bill would include, among other things, the economic impact of foreign direct investment in manufacturing in the United States and other sectors of the U.S. economy.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.