Washington, DC – Today, prior to voting to pass the America COMPETES act, Chairman Gregory W. Meeks delivered a speech outlining the major foreign policy provisions of the bill, which includes his EAGLE Act, along with his vision to bolster bilateral diplomacy and increase our diplomatic footprint to restore American leadership abroad.
The full text of Chairman Meeks’ remarks can be found below:
“Thank you. Let me take the opportunity to also thank the Speaker. She’s a woman that always has a vision for tomorrow—how to make sure what we do today has an effect to our children, grandchildren tomorrow. That’s extremely important, so thank you Speaker Pelosi and, of course, Chairwoman Johnson. When we talk about technology, we all know science and technology—if we are going to have a better future—we got to master that, and our whole career has been focused on science and technology.
“China has leveraged its growth to chip away at the prevailing economic, political and security order in the world. It has bullied other nations into yielding to its demands, and has consistently broken international law and refused to play by the rules. Where there is a vacuum of leadership, China will seek to fill that vacuum. That is why the United States must win the competition with China, offering leadership that embodies our values of democracy and human rights, and positioning ourselves to win the economic and technological competition with China.
“As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I worked to build into the America COMPETES Act provisions that would considerably bolster U.S. bilateral diplomacy and increase our diplomatic footprint where it is still lacking. The COMPETES Act does this by expanding our diplomacy at regional organizations, and through groupings like the Quad, ensuring that we are at the table and setting the rules of the road, not the Peoples Republic of China.
“It also incorporates strong provisions on human rights, including sanctions related to China’s genocide in Xinjiang, refugee protections for Uyghurs, and the Hong Kong Freedom and Choice act. Furthermore, it bolsters our alliances and partnerships, which are our ace in the hole in the competition with China. By recentering diplomacy in our foreign policy, America COMPETES will restore America’s global credibility and leadership.
“We cannot be complacent about America’s economic strength and global position. Today, by passing the America COMPETES Act, Congress will show the American people and the world, with clarity of purpose and the courage of our convictions, that we do not take our global leadership for granted. That we will not miss the opportunity to strengthen American industry and create the jobs of the future for our workers. And that America will continue to maintain and defend the international rules-based system that has contributed to peace and prosperity for millions.
“Today, thanks to the COMPETES Act, America is in a position to succeed for years to come.”