Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1418, the ``Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023'', or ADUFA and AGDUFA, which will enable the U.S. to lead the world in innovation and drug development for animal pharmaceuticals.

The Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendment or AGDUFA was designed to enhance the performance of the generic new animal drug review process and enable the FDA to more efficiently ensure that generic new animal drug products are safe and effective.

AGDUFA was originally signed into law in 2008 and reauthorized in 2013 and 2018.

This bill reauthorizes the FDA to collect user fees for certain abbreviated applications for generic new animal drugs, generic new animal drug products and from certain sponsors of abbreviated applications for generic new animal drugs and investigational submissions for generic new animal drugs.

Specifically, this bill ensures that the Center for Veterinary Medicine can continue to meet the needs of the animal drug industry as it evolves.

This bipartisan bill will lead to increased transparency, additional pathways for animal drug approvals, and reduced review times for pioneer and generic drug applications while maintaining high standards for safety and efficacy.

Veterinarians have far fewer FDA-approved animal drugs compared to the number of FDA-approved human drugs.

My district in Houston is home to hundreds of veterinarians working hard to improve the health of animals.

In fact, Houston ranks fourth among metro areas for dog ownership and was named the ``Dog Capital of the World'' in a 2022 study conducted by Protect Our Paws.

Protect Our Paws found that Houston had the highest dog-toperson ratio in the world with 52.1 dogs per 100 humans.

More broadly, with Texas being No. 4 in pet ownership and over 58 percent of households owning at least one pet, we have thousands ot pets and animals to protect.

I have a vested interest in moving these reauthorizations forward because they are critical to animal and human health and well-being.

FDA continues to make progress to mitigate the growth of antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals, including ending over-the-counter access to medically important antibiotics which are used in both humans and animals, but more needs to be done.

I remain fully committed to moving the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023 through a swift reauthorization before the programs expire on September 30th.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of H.R. 1418, the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 813, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2023.

This bill will direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct an interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment.

The report will look at the economic impact of foreign direct investments in the United States, focusing on manufacturing, services, trade, and jobs in the United States.

This will allow Congress to better understand trends and challenges in global cross-border investments, as well as collaborate with other trusted partner countries.

Specifically, this bill will attract foreign direct investment from responsible private-sector entities, which is directly linked to the long-term economic prosperity, global competitiveness, and security of the United States.

It will promote polices to ensure that United States remains the global leader in developing and deploying cutting-edge technologies, such as self-driving vehicle technology and artificial intelligence.

As digital information becomes increasingly important to the United States economy and the development of new technologies and services that will be crucial to the country's competitiveness in the 21st century global economy, barriers including data localization and infringement of intellectual property rights must be further addressed.

This study will focus on the economic impact of foreign direct investment, challenges associated with foreign direct investment by state-owned enterprises, and the influence of protectionist policies enacted by other countries on the advanced technology economy.

Further, this bill will allow us to reduce our supply-chain dependence on China.

For the success of our larger economy, national security, and global relationships, it is vital that we pass H.R. 813.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1418) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize user fee programs relating to new animal drugs and generic new animal drugs, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1418, the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023, sponsored by my good friend, Mr. Pence, and, of course, Ms. Schrier on the Democrat side and their members on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Our committee has worked hard on this legislation for many months, holding a legislative hearing in March and two markups this spring before advancing it out of full committee last month by a vote of 49-0.

At each step, our members worked in a bipartisan fashion to consider ways to make improvements to this legislation and keep any controversial policies from getting in the way of passing this bill before its September deadline. Great work.

Overall, the ADUFA amendments of 2023 will reauthorize the two user fee programs established to support the development and review of animal drugs and generics.

These drugs keep our animals healthy, from our household pets to our farm animals, and they ensure that our food supply is safe for humans too. That is how important this bill is.

The bill before us also includes provisions to support the review process in getting new drugs to the market faster and adds new reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability within the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

It also takes steps to support utilizing the conditional approval pathway for animal drugs, which will bring more drugs to the market for small animal populations with unmet clinical needs.

There are even more program enhancements contained in these agreements, addressing foreign inspections, fiscal responsibility, and the need for more innovation.

If this legislation is not signed into law before September 30, Mr. Speaker, the review and approval of the medicines that farmers and pet owners rely on will dramatically slow down. We can't let that happen.

Drugmakers will also face regulatory uncertainty in getting their therapies to the market, impacting access to new cures and treatments. They are relying on Congress to do its job, and we will, which is why I strongly urge support of this legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), the sponsor of the bill along with Ms. Schrier.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great bill. It is a necessary bill for our farmers but also our animal owners. I used to be the chair of the Humane Bond Caucus, and we absolutely love our animals. Mr. Pence and Ms. Schrier are doing an excellent job on this particular bill, and I urge unanimous passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 813) to direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on this particular bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 813, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2023.

I thank Representative Pence for his work on this legislation and Representatives Eshoo and Blunt Rochester and all the cosponsors for their support of this very important piece of legislation.

Foreign direct investment, or FDI, has proven to be critical for America's economy, and it is also an integral part of our Nation's technological leadership. Still, FDI can be deterred by unnecessary barriers that prohibit its expansion from trusted countries, allies, and friendly economies. Removing these barriers will ensure that the United States remains the global leader in attracting FDI.

This legislation will require the Secretary of Commerce, along with heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an interagency review and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the U.S. in attracting FDI from trusted countries--I repeat, trusted countries--and economies. This is an important distinction that my friend from Indiana included, and I appreciate this, to ensure we focus on ways to increase FDI from our allies--again, from our allies--rather than countries like China, Russia, or anyone else who wants to do harm to our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Indiana (Mr. Pence), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I am proud to be able to work with these great people here on a very important bill. We need to encourage legitimate foreign investment in our country. I know that other countries create the right environment for us to invest in their countries, and it has really been a great success. We want to continue to do that, but, again, we are emphasizing that these have to be legitimate foreign investments from legitimate allied countries.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the sponsors, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 813, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act. As this legislation's name would suggest, we should work to encourage foreign direct investment that supports high-quality jobs here in the United States. Foreign direct support and investment from

nonadversarial nations can be used to grow critical sectors important for our economic success and national security, including by creating new jobs in our Nation's manufacturing sector.

Once the envy of the world, our manufacturing base has faced steady headwinds for the past several decades. Our Nation's share of global manufacturing activity declined from 28 percent in 2002 to just over 17 percent in 2020. Investment in America's small and medium manufacturers, the bedrock of our industrial might, has also declined over the past 20 years by more than $200 billion. In that same two- decade period, our domestic manufacturing base has shed more than 4 million jobs.

It is time to reverse these trends by revitalizing our Nation's manufacturing industry and bringing jobs back home. The work we did last Congress passing the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act is already helping to turn the tide. The United States added nearly 700,000 manufacturing jobs during President Biden's first 20 months in office. Total construction spending on manufacturing in the United States has skyrocketed to nearly $200 billion per month, more than doubling prepandemic levels.

Foreign direct investment can be another part of the solution to revitalize American manufacturing and job creation. Over a third of all foreign direct investments are in domestic manufacturing, exceeding a total of $120 billion a year. This bill would ensure we keep that flow of investments strong and that such investments support quality, good- paying jobs right here at home.

I commend Representatives Pence and Eshoo for their leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I would summarize by saying that this is an excellent bill. There are so many ways to build up our manufacturing sector and to invest in our workforce. Many of those we have already done through the infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. This is another way to shore up jobs and manufacturing here at home by encouraging foreign investments from friendly nations.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my legislation, H.R. 813, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act.

This bill seeks to improve the attractiveness of foreign investment from allied nations and identify barriers that are holding back American competitiveness.

Over 200,000 Hoosiers are directly employed by international companies, 56 percent of which are in the manufacturing sector. Because of our long, storied history as a leader in manufacturing, companies across the world have keyed in to Indiana.

Before companies started outsourcing operations to China and other countries, company towns had lifted small and rural communities across the Hoosier State. Take Cummins Engine Company, for example. I have lived in Columbus, Indiana, my entire life, and nearly every family, my own included, has some connection to the company that has helped build and grow Columbus.

Beyond Indiana, communities across the country share similar stories where foreign investment has lifted up communities with stable, good- paying jobs. International companies in the U.S. employ 8 million workers and, over the past 5 years, have created 400,000 new manufacturing jobs.

As countries across the world rethink partnerships with the Chinese Communist Party and other bad actors, we have an opportunity to leverage investments from allied nations.

Importantly, this legislation would seek to uncover actions from the CCP to gain access to U.S. markets and circumvent national security laws. For decades, China has built a calculated strategy to corner global supply chains through IP theft and free-market manipulation. H.R. 813 addresses anticompetitive practices of the CCP to undermine innovation and gain footholds in next-generation technologies.

I am encouraged that the Global Investment in American Jobs Act has long had broad, bipartisan support, like from my colleague from California, Congresswoman Eshoo. I look forward to working across the aisle to pass this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill.