Schumer wants a new China competition bill, Rubio slams effort as unserious

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is directing Democratic lawmakers to develop a “China Competition Bill 2.0” to stop tech and research theft from America.

The New York Democrat wants to stop American tech and money from flowing to China’s government and tasked the Democratic leaders of committees involving appropriations, finance, intelligence, foreign relations and others with crafting the legislation.

“The United States cannot sit idly by as the Chinese government continues to lie, cheat and steal its way to global dominance. Time is not on our side,” Mr. Schumer said in a recent statement. “We need to make investments now that secure our global leadership before it is too late.”

Democratic lawmakers working on the legislation are focused on limiting the flow of tech and U.S. dollars to China’s government, spending more U.S. dollars on American tech, and developing policies that support America’s allies and partners in opposition to China.

Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said he was ready to work with anyone but he did not believe Mr. Schumer and President Biden were committed to making a serious effort.

“We cannot pass another bill that allows taxpayer dollars to fund Chinese companies or research that is easily stolen by China,” Mr. Rubio said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Mr. Schumer in 2021 worked alongside Republicans, including Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, on legislation to spend more money on American research to out-compete China. Mr. Rubio expressed reservations back then that the government was ill-equipped to safeguard the research dollars from benefitting China.

The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act wove together Mr. Schumer and Mr. Young’s legislation alongside other bills to spend more on research and development and passed the Senate in the summer of 2021.

Mr. Biden signed a modified version of that legislation into law last year as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.

Democrats say they have an appetite for developing the next China-related competition bill along bipartisan lines.

“There is broad bipartisan support for this initiative and we have the opportunity to work this Congress on safeguarding our future,” Mr. Schumer said. “President Xi has made clear he will not stop his campaign to rival America on the world stage. We cannot stop either.”