Cantwell Lays Out Expectations for Committee Conferees on China Bill

Expect members of the Senate Commerce, Finance, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees to be named as China bill conferees, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters after a March 23 hearing.

The Commerce Committee suggested leadership select party leaders of the relevant committees for conferencing, Cantwell said. But not every committee has expansive jurisdiction, so there might be some additional members chosen from certain committees like Commerce, Cantwell said, noting leaders could name rank and file members to the conference.

The issues for conference aren’t “that complicated,” but the process is complicated because the legislation crosses several jurisdictions, she said. Ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Democrats and the Senate as a whole are very much in sync after passing the upper chamber’s version of the China package, but House counterparts might view the legislation differently, she said.

The Senate voted 66-31 March 23 on the motion to proceed to consideration of the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (H.R. 4521). Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voted no. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Bob Casey, D-Pa.; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., didn’t vote.

The March 23 vote on the China package was another hurdle in a series of “procedural hoops” the Senate must jump through in order to move to conference, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor the same day. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., lead Republican sponsor, was asked about Schumer’s failed attempt to hotline the process last week and Republican objections. There was recognition from some colleagues who wanted to “say some words, which is not uncommon in the Senate,” Young said. “So we’re going to do it the hard way, and I anticipate we’ll go to conference before the end of the work period.”