On the recordMay 3, 2023
Madam President, I want to take a moment to address some of what we have heard here on the Senate floor today. There have been a lot of accusations made about what this CRA does, and I will clear that up in a minute, but first I would like to set the record straight on what this measure does not do. My colleagues often talk about their work to protect human rights. I would ask this simple question: What could possibly be a greater threat to human rights than the United States of America's turning a blind eye to child slave labor? What message does it send to the world? We have heard today that this measure will force American companies to pay for these tariffs. Not true. What this measure does do is rightfully punish foreign companies that are actively working to get around U.S. trade law and help import product made with slave and child labor into the United States. The only entities that will pay tariffs are Chinese-affiliated manufacturers. If you are doing the right thing, this measure doesn't change a darned thing about how you do business, but if you are working with people who believe slavery has a role in supply chains, you are darned right I have a problem with that and will do whatever I can to stop it. I have also heard today that the rule that this CRA would eliminate was negotiated by the solar panel industry. We have heard that the solar panel industry agrees we need this exemption and therefore it is good.…





