Schumer, McConnell Aim to Begin China Bills Conference Before April 8

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are negotiating to begin conference on the China package this work period, a Senate aide told us Monday (see 2203010077). The work period is scheduled to end April 8.

The goal is to name conferees for formal conference in a matter of days, rather than weeks, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., told us Thursday: Schumer and McConnell are “both aiming for a formal conference and just working out the details.” McConnell’s office didn’t comment.

Young addressed comments from House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who said last week (see 2203090043) that virtual conferencing had begun on a compromise between the House and Senate bills. “I wouldn’t characterize any conversations that are occurring right now as a conference,” said Young. “The term would have to be used somewhat loosely, as Earl was no doubt using it.”

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told us he “absolutely” wants and expects to be involved when discussions begin. “I have not been involved in any conferencing” so far, he said.

Passage will get “much more challenging” as midterm elections near, said Information Technology Industry Council Senior Director-Government Affairs Margaret McCarthy. Passage “this work period is overly optimistic, but we heard there might be an effort to get something done before Memorial Day,” she said. There are “procedural challenges because it will take some Senate floor time to appoint conferees.”

Some committees are “more actively” negotiating than others, she said. A formal conference is important because regular order will help garner Republican support, she said. Passage “was a more partisan process in the House,” she said. “We’re hopeful that if there’s a more bipartisan product that comes out of conference that it might be possible to garner additional Republican support in the House.”

Industry officials agreed deliberations over Ukraine and Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson are taking precedence. “There’s a busy legislative agenda,” said Software & Information Industry Association Senior Vice President-Global Public Policy Paul Lekas. “There’s a lot of things people want to see accomplished.” But it’s an important bill, which ties into major consumer issues, and the “sooner Congress can get together and iron out differences and get something to the president’s desk, the sooner these programs can get going,” he said.

SIIA, ITI and other major tech groups, especially the Semiconductor Industry Association, pushed for support for Chips Act elements in the two bills. The Chips Act includes $52 billion in subsidies to encourage U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing. Lekas noted Taiwan supplies about 90% of the world’s supply of advanced microchips, which has major implications for SIIA members.

BSA|The Software Alliance announced a letter in support of the chambers retaining Chips Act funding provisions. CEO Victoria Espinel wrote Monday in support of Senate-passed provisions on negotiation of digital economy agreements, cross-border data policy and digital trust provisions. One of the provisions grants the U.S. trade representative the authority in the Generalized System of Preferences to address foreign policies on data transfer, data localization, consumer protection, privacy of personal information and open digital ecosystems.