The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a multibillion-dollar bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China and boosting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, despite Republican opposition.
The Democratic-majority House backed the America COMPETES Act of 2022 by 222-210, almost entirely along party lines. One Republican joined Democrats in voting for the measure and one Democrat voted no.
The vote took place hours after the opening ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics, amid criticism in Congress of the International Olympic Committee for awarding the Games to China. Human rights groups have long criticized China's rights record, allegations China denies.