House Approves Representative Angie Craig’s Amendments to America COMPETES Act

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the House of Representatives approved two amendments filed by Representative Craig to be included in the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act, a bill to increase U.S. competitiveness with China and support American manufacturing. Craig's amendments, which are listed below, are designed to invest in apprenticeship colleges to create good-paying jobs and address food supply chain challenges that are causing higher prices for working Americans. A final vote on the legislation is expected later this week.

"As Minnesotans continue to face the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must get folks back to work in good-paying careers and take immediate steps to reduce costs for working families," said Representative Craig. "I'm proud that my colleagues have voted to advance my amendments to the America COMPETES Act, which will help to bolster post-secondary education in the trades and unravel our food supply chains – while reclaiming America's standing as a leader on the world stage."

Representative Craig's House-approved amendments include:

• Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act Amendment – Craig's amendment would attach the Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act to the legislation, helping to advance a bipartisan bill that would provide community grants for apprenticeship colleges to expand and support outreach to potential students and employers. Craig's legislation would help to promote careers in the trades, revitalize the American manufacturing industry and connect working Americans with good-paying careers in their own communities.
• Bolstering Agriculture and Food System Supply Chain Amendment – Craig's amendment would direct the Assistant Secretary of Supply Chain Resilience and Crisis Response to evaluate the stability and security of the agriculture and food system supply chain within 270 days of enactment of the legislation. The amendment would strengthen the resilience of the American food supply chain by identifying vulnerabilities and producing key recommendations to eliminate transportation bottlenecks in the distribution of agricultural and food inputs, products, and exports. The amendment is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the Consumer Brands Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, the American Soybean Association and the Fertilizer Institute.

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