U.S. Senate advances sweeping tech bill taking aim at China
The U.S. Senate on Thursday advanced a sweeping package of legislation intended to boost the country's ability to compete with Chinese technology, as Congress increasingly seeks to take a tough line against Beijing.
Senators voted 68-30 to end debate on the $250 billion U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, or USICA, and move nearer to a final vote on the legislation.
The desire for a hard line in dealings with China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, which is narrowly controlled by President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who co-wrote the USICA legislation, said the United States spends less than 1% of gross domestic product on basic scientific research, less than half of what China does.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legislation.
The exact timing of a final Senate vote was not clear, as lawmakers continued to debate next steps behind closed doors on Thursday evening.
Reference: Reuters
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