WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup of 12 bills to strengthen American competitiveness and enhance consumer protections.
Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis' opening statement as prepared for delivery:
“Good morning and thank you all for being here. Today’s markup brings together a dozen bills that reflect two of this Committee’s priorities: protecting American consumers and strengthening America’s competitiveness.
“I am proud of the bipartisan work that has gone into these important initiatives. American consumers deserve better protections in the marketplace, and these bills go a long way towards earning back consumers’ trust.
“The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act is necessary to ensure the relevant federal agencies coordinate their efforts to identify emerging scams and develop strategies to prevent Americans from becoming victims in the first place. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act builds on our prior work by cracking down on the bots and bad actors that have made buying a concert ticket feel like a rigged game. And when it comes to what’s actually in the products families buy and what claims companies make about them, the PACK Act and the Recycled Materials Attribution Act bring much needed transparency to recycling claims.
“In addition to advancing proposals that protect consumers, we are also pushing back against the Chinese Communist Party. The Chip EQUIP Act ensures that companies receiving CHIPS Act funding aren’t turning around and buying manufactured equipment from firms owned or controlled by the Chinese government.
“The Memory Chip Competitiveness Assessment Act and the American Quantum Competitiveness Act direct the Commerce Department to get serious about where our supply chains are vulnerable and how we out compete China in the technologies that matter most. Finally, the Automotive National and Economic Security Act shines a light on how deeply our auto industry’s relationships with foreign adversaries go.
“I look forward to moving these bills to the full committee and then to the House floor. Thank you to all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have worked diligently to protect consumers and bolster American competitiveness.”