The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“GLOBAL INVESTMENT IN AMERICAN JOBS ACT OF 2013” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5411-H5414 on Sept. 9, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
GLOBAL INVESTMENT IN AMERICAN JOBS ACT OF 2013
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2052) 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.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2052
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) It remains an urgent national priority to improve economic growth and create new jobs.
(2) National security requires economic strength and global engagement.
(3) Businesses today have a wide array of choices when considering where to invest, expand, or establish new operations.
(4) Administrations of both parties have consistently reaffirmed the need to promote an open investment climate as a key to domestic economic prosperity and security.
(5) The United States has historically been the largest worldwide recipient of foreign direct investment but has seen its share decline in recent years.
(6) The United States faces increasing competition from other countries as it works to recruit investment from global companies.
(7) Foreign direct investment can benefit the economy and workforce of every State and Commonwealth in the United States.
(8) According to the latest Federal statistics, the United States subsidiaries of companies headquartered abroad contribute to the United States economy in a variety of important ways, including by--
(A) providing jobs for an estimated 5,600,000 Americans, with compensation that is often higher than the national private-sector average, as many of these jobs are in high-skilled, high-paying industries;
(B) strengthening the United States industrial base and employing nearly 15 percent of the United States manufacturing sector workforce;
(C) establishing operations in the United States from which to sell goods and services around the world, thereby producing nearly 18 percent of United States exports;
(D) promoting innovation with more than $41,000,000,000 in annual United States research and development activities;
(E) paying nearly 14 percent of United States corporate income taxes; and
(F) purchasing goods and services from local suppliers and small businesses worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
(9) These companies account for 5.8 percent of United States private sector gross domestic product.
(10) The Department of Commerce has initiatives in place to increase foreign direct investment.
(11) The President issued a statement in 2011 reaffirming the longstanding open investment policy of the United States and encouraged all countries to pursue such a policy.
(12) The President signed an executive order in 2011 to establish the SelectUSA initiative and expanded its resources and activities in 2012, so as to promote greater levels of business investment in the United States.
(13) The President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness in 2011 recommended the establishment of a National Investment Initiative to attract $1,000,000,000,000 in foreign direct investment over five years.
(14) Sound transportation infrastructure, a well-educated and healthy workforce, safe food and water, stable financial institutions, a fair and equitable justice system, and transparent and accountable administrative procedures are important factors that contribute to United States global competitiveness.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the ability of the United States to attract foreign direct investment is directly linked to the long-term economic prosperity, global competitiveness, and security of the United States;
(2) it is a top national priority to enhance the global competitiveness, prosperity, and security of the United States by--
(A) removing unnecessary barriers to foreign direct investment and the jobs that it creates throughout the United States; and
(B) promoting policies to ensure the United States remains the premier global destination in which to invest, hire, innovate, and manufacture products;
(3) maintaining the United States' commitment to open investment policy encourages other countries to reciprocate and enables the United States to open new markets abroad for United States companies and their products;
(4) while foreign direct investment can enhance the Nation's economic strength, policies regarding foreign direct investment should reflect national security interests and should not disadvantage domestic investors or companies; and
(5) United States efforts to attract foreign direct investment should be consistent with efforts to maintain and improve the domestic standard of living.
SEC. 4. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT REVIEW.
(a) Review.--The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Federal Interagency Investment Working Group and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall conduct an interagency review of the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment.
(b) Specific Matters to Be Included.--The review conducted pursuant to subsection (a) shall include a review of--
(1) the current economic impact of foreign direct investment in the United States, with particular focus on manufacturing, research and development, trade, and jobs;
(2) trends in global cross-border investment flows and the underlying factors for such trends;
(3) Federal Government policies that are closely linked to the ability of the United States to attract and retain foreign direct investment;
(4) foreign direct investment as compared to direct investment by domestic entities;
(5) foreign direct investment that takes the form of greenfield investment as compared to foreign direct investment reflecting merger and acquisition activity;
(6) the unique challenges posed by foreign direct investment by state-owned enterprises;
(7) ongoing Federal Government efforts to improve the investment climate and facilitate greater levels of foreign direct investment in the United States;
(8) innovative and noteworthy State, regional, and local government initiatives to attract foreign investment; and
(9) initiatives by other countries in order to identify best practices for increasing global competitiveness in attracting foreign direct investment.
(c) Limitation.--The review conducted pursuant to subsection (a) shall not address laws or policies relating to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
(d) Public Comment.--Prior to--
(1) conducting the review under subsection (a), the Secretary shall publish notice of the review in the Federal Register and shall provide an opportunity for public comment on the matters to be covered by the review; and
(2) reporting pursuant to subsection (e), the Secretary shall publish the proposed findings and recommendations to Congress in the Federal Register and shall provide an opportunity for public comment.
(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Federal Interagency Investment Working Group and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall report to Congress the findings of the review required under subsection (a) and submit recommendations for increasing the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment without weakening labor, consumer, financial, or environmental protections.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
General Leave
Mr. TERRY. 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 materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. TERRY. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2052, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013.
Now, we recently saw the latest job numbers. While somewhat positive, the reality is that we have more people out of the workforce than since 1978. People are giving up looking for work, and it doesn't have to be and shouldn't be that way.
There are many foreign companies who want to ``in-source'' their jobs to America, but there have been many barriers standing in their way. There are many foreign companies who should and want to come here. These are good, high-paying jobs that many Americans are looking for.
In 2010 alone, U.S. affiliates of foreign firms employed an estimated 5.6 million Americans. These Americans also made, on average, $77,000 per year.
These U.S. subsidiaries invested $41.3 billion in research and development and made $149 billion in capital expenditures in the United States that same year. In the manufacturing sector alone, FDI inflows were nearly $84 billion in 2012, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
Unfortunately, according to the testimony of the Organization for International Investment at our legislative hearing last spring, the United States' share of foreign direct investment dropped from 41 percent at its high in 1999 to just 17 percent in 2011. Today, we're here to reverse that trend.
My bill, H.R. 2052, and also, with the gentlelady, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mr. Barrow on the other side of the aisle, this is a bipartisan piece of legislation that instructs the Department of Commerce to conduct an interagency review geared to identifying those barriers to foreign investment to the United States. It also instructs the Department of Commerce to make recommendations on ways to lower or eliminate those same barriers.
The United States should be the leader in attracting foreign investment. We have a stable government, safe working conditions, and the most skilled workforce in the world. I believe that our long-term global competitiveness and economic success as a nation is directly tied to our ability to attract foreign investment.
By creating an environment where foreign companies want to move their manufacturing operations or distribution centers to the United States, we are fostering an environment or atmosphere of organic, government stimulus-free economic growth.
We must be aware of the potential impact on the U.S.' ability to attract foreign direct investment when considering new laws and regulations.
We want these companies to come here and help us grow our economy. But there are a number of areas within the purview of the Federal Government where we can improve the domestic climate for foreign direct investment.
It's my hope that the report at the heart of this legislation will highlight those areas, both for the administration, where it can act on its own authority, and for Congress, where the administration lacks the authority.
I would also like to thank some individuals who helped get this legislation off the ground and to the House floor today. First off, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), who has championed this issue for several years.
I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the ranking member of this subcommittee, as well as our friend, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow), for his leadership.
I believe we can all agree that we shouldn't stop our efforts to put America back to work until every American who wants a job can find one. This legislation is a step in the right direction, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BARROW of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2052, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act, because it will encourage the growth of good, American jobs.
Every time I go home, I'm reminded of how investors overseas spur jobs here at home by tapping into the talent of America. Dutch companies like DSM in Augusta, French companies like Alstom in Waynesboro, and Japanese companies like YKK in Dublin could invest in any country in the world. They're proud to invest in Georgia's 12th District because the families who work for them take pride in their work.
This bill requires the Department of Commerce to investigate how it can be an attractive investment for foreign-owned companies. The United States still has the best workers in the world, and they deserve every opportunity to offer their skills to companies looking to expand.
I'm proud that this bill also enjoys broad bipartisan support. This is how Congress can and should work, Democrats and Republicans coming together to get Americans back to work.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I look forward to building a stronger future for American workers by passing H.R. 2052.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I'll continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BARROW of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the patience and understanding, just coming from a classified hearing.
I want to first thank the chairman and his staff, as well as committee Democratic staff, for working so hard and so diligently and collaboratively to come to an agreement on legislation that will help guide American job and economic growth.
There is a strong incentive to invest in America, which remains the best place on Earth to find talented, motivated employees who are the core of the middle class.
My home State of Illinois ranks number one in the Midwest in terms of foreign direct investment, with nearly 1,600 foreign-based firms employing more than 300,000 Illinois residents. In attracting the investment, Illinois has showcased its world-class transportation infrastructure, its diversified economy, its productive workforce, and its cultural diversity and attractions.
It has also maintained its strong labor, health, and environmental standards that helped build the middle class, which I believe is the key to successful foreign direct investment.
Some companies are working to respect the rights of workers as they invest in the United States. On Friday, it was announced that Volkswagen is working collaboratively with the United Auto Workers to unionize its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. That will help to ensure that the best interests of American workers are a major consideration at the plant and the company as it continues its investment in the United States.
That being said, it is important that the study authorized in this legislation examine both the benefits and the costs of foreign direct investment. Doing so will allow us to determine the ways to drive investment that maintains high labor, health, environmental, and national security standards.
And on that subject, I'd like to enter into a colloquy on the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. Terry. While I will not oppose this amendment, I must express my reservations.
Mr. Chairman, you worked with me in a very collegial and bipartisan manner to craft a bipartisan bill. H.R. 2052 is a good product.
Now we have before us an amendment that makes three changes that could be perceived to weaken important provisions of the bill. I have concerns about each of them, but I would like to focus on the elimination of cost-benefit language regarding the bill's required review of the current economic impact of foreign direct investment.
During our negotiations, I suggested that language because I believed that we needed to ensure that the review be balanced, and you agreed.
In addition, some of the language in the findings and in the sense of Congress could be read as if there are only benefits of FDI, and we wanted to be evenhanded. While I do believe that there are benefits to FDI, there are also costs that must be considered.
Regardless of the amendment before us now, can you assure me that the bill's requirement of a review of the current economic impact of foreign direct investment required under this bill will include a review of both the benefits and costs of foreign direct investment?
Mr. TERRY. Will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska.
Mr. TERRY. Yes, I can assure you. I agree with the gentlelady that it should include both benefits and costs, as we have suggested. And I do want to state that I appreciate working with you. And you have shown great collegiality as well in our negotiations, and I want to thank you for that.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Thank you so much.
Reclaiming my time, if I could just say, I will not oppose the amendment, but I do expect to work with you to ensure that the review, should this bill become law, is balanced and to ensure that any report of this committee on H.R. 2052 include the clarification that you just made.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, having the right to close, I am going to reserve the balance of my time and allow them to finish their time, if they have any.
Mr. BARROW of Georgia. I thank the gentleman.
We have no further speakers on our side and, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I want to close by saying that this truly has been a bipartisan effort. Both sides of the aisle want the U.S. to be in a better position to attract the foreign direct investment which does create jobs in the United States. That has been on the decline. We need to reverse that.
And this is one of those times when you go home and you hear, at your townhall meeting, Why don't you work together? The people need to see how we worked together on this bill and resolved the differences between each other on this. Today we're here to have what I think will be an overwhelmingly positive vote.
With that, I will submit a couple of letters for the Record. One is about 150 entities that signed on to a letter for the Organization for International Investment, and then also another letter from Sanofi dated September 9, 2013.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Organization for International Investment
OFII is the only business association in Washington D.C. that exclusively represents U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies and advocates for their non-discriminatory treatment under state and federal law.
Members
ABB Inc.; ACE INA Holdings, Inc.; Ahold USA, Inc.; Airbus North America Holdings; Air Liquide USA; Akzo Nobel Inc.; Alcatel-Lucent; Allianz of North America; ALSTOM; Anheuser-Busch; APG; APL Limited; AREVA, Inc.; Arup; Astellas Pharma US, Inc.; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; BAE Systems; Balfour Beatty; Barclays Capital; Barrick Gold Corp. of North America.
BASF Corporation; Bayer Corp.; BG Group; BHP Billiton; BIC Corp.; Bimbo Foods, Inc.; bioMerieux, Inc.; BMW of North America; BNP Paribas; Boehringer Ingelheim Corp.; Bombardier Inc.; BOSCH; BP; Bridgestone Americas Holding; Brother International Corp.; BT; Bunge Ltd.; Bunzl USA, Inc.; Case New Holland; Cobham.
Covidien; Credit Suisse Securities (USA); Cristal USA Inc.; Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.; Daimler; Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.; Deutsche Telekom; Diageo, Inc.; EADS, Inc.; Electrolux North America; EMD Serono Inc.; E.ON North America; Ericsson; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Experian; Flextronics International; Food Lion, LLC; France Telecom North America; FUJIFILM Holdings America; Garmin International, Inc.
GDF SUEZ Energy North America, Inc.; Generali USA; GKN America Corp.; GlaxoSmithKline; Hanson North America; Henkel Corporation; Holcim (US) Inc.; Honda North America; HSBC North America Holdings; Huhtamaki; Hyundai Motor America; Iberdrola Renewables; ING America Insurance Holdings; InterContinental Hotels Group; JBS USA; John Hancock Life Insurance Co.; Kering; Kia Motor Corporation; Lafarge North America; Logitech Inc.
L'Oreal USA, Inc.; Louisiana Energy Service (LES); Louis Dreyfus Commodities; Louisville Corporate Services, Inc.; LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton; Macquarie Aircraft Leasing Services; Maersk Inc.; Magna International; Mallinckrodt; Marvell Semiconductor; McCain Foods USA; Michelin North America, Inc.; National Grid; Nestle USA, Inc.; Nissan; Nomura Holding America, Inc.; Novartis Corporation; Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals; Oldcastle, Inc.; Panasonic Corp.; of North America.
Pearson Inc.; Pernod Ricard USA; Philips Electronics North America; QBE the Americas; Randstad North America; Reed Elsevier Inc.; Research in Motion; Rexam Inc.; Rinnai; Rio Tinto America; Roche Holdings, Inc.; Rolls-Royce North America Inc.; Royal Bank of Canada; SABIC Innovative Plastics; Samsung; Sanofi US; SAP America; Sasol; Schlumberger.
Schneider Electric USA; Schott North America; Shell Oil Company; Siemens Corporation; Smith & Nephew, Inc.; Societe Generale; Solvay America; Sony Corporation of America; Sprint; Sumitomo Corp.; of America; Swiss Re America Holding Corp.; Syngenta Corporation; Takeda North America; Tate & Lyle North America, Inc.; TD Bank; TE Connectivity; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA; Thales USA, Inc.; The Tata Group; Thomson Reuters.
ThyssenKrupp North America, Inc.; Tim Hortons; Toa Reinsurance Company of America; Tomkins Industries, Inc.; TOTAL Holdings USA, Inc.; Toyota Motor North America; Transamerica; Tyco; UBS; UCB; Umicore USA; Unilever; Vivendi; Vodafone; Voith Holding Inc.; Volkswagen of America, Inc.; Volvo Cars North America; Volvo Group North America, Inc.; Westfield LLC; White Mountains, Inc.; Wipro Inc.; Wolters Kluwer U.S. Corporation; Wolseley; WPP Group USA, Inc.; XL Global Services; Zurich Insurance Group.
Organization for
International Investment,
Washington, DC, September 9, 2013.Re OFII Support of H.R. 2052, the ``Global Investment in
American Jobs Act of 2013''.
Hon. Fred Upton,Chairman, Energy and Commerce Committee, Washington, DC.Hon. Lee Terry,Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade,
Washington, DC.Hon. Henry Waxman,Ranking Member, Energy and Commerce Committee, Washington,
DC.Hon. Jan Schakowsky,Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and
Trade, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Waxman, Chairman Terry and Ranking Member Schakowsky: On behalf of the Organization for International Investment (OFII) and its member companies, I write in strong support of H.R. 2052, the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013'' and commend the Energy and Commerce Committee for its leadership on this important bipartisan legislation. As the United States continues to confront significant economic challenges, this legislation is critical to enhancing our nation's efforts to attract global business investment and the jobs and economic growth it generates.
OFII is a business association comprised of over 160 U.S. subsidiaries of companies headquartered abroad (membership list is included). OFII works to ensure a level playing field for its member companies and promote policies which increase U.S. competitiveness in attracting foreign direct investment
(FDI).
U.S. subsidiaries of global companies play a major role in the national economy, directly employing 5.6 million Americans, supporting an annual U.S. payroll of more than
$408 billion, and employing 17 percent of the U.S. manufacturing workforce. In addition, these companies account for a significant share of U.S. research and development activities, purchase goods and services worth hundreds of billions of dollars every year from U.S. suppliers and small businesses, and produce nearly 18 percent of all U.S. exports, which provide hundreds of billions of dollars in American goods and services annually to customers around the world.
However, the United States faces an increasingly competitive global environment for job-creating FDI. Now more than ever before, companies have an unprecedented array of options when looking to invest, expand, or establish new operations, including into emerging economies such as China and Brazil. While the United States remains the world's leading recipient of FDI, its share of global investment has dropped significantly from 41 percent in 1999 to just 17 percent in 2011. It is no longer enough for the U.S. to merely be ``open'' to global investment; we must be ready to compete in a challenging global marketplace.
OFII and its member companies believe the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act'' is a critical step in ensuring the U.S. remains the world's most attractive location for global businesses to invest, grow, and create jobs. The bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to lead the first-ever comprehensive interagency review of U.S. competitiveness for FDI. This examination of economic trends, best practices from around the world, and key policies will result in recommendations to Congress outlining a new roadmap for attracting and retaining top tier global businesses. In addition, the legislation explicitly recognizes the importance of FDI to the U.S. economy by expressing the sense of Congress that remaining competitive in attracting such investment is directly linked to our nation's long-term economic strength and security.
Passage of the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act'' would send a powerful and bipartisan message that America is ready to compete in a new way for global investment.
Thank you for your leadership.
Sincerely,
Nancy L. McLernon,
President & CEO, Organizationfor International Investment.
____
SANOFI,
Washington, DC, September 9, 2013.Hon. Lee Terry,House of Representatives, Chairman, Energy and Commerce
Committee, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing &
Trade, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Terry: Sanofi is a leading global and diversified healthcare company which discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health.
On behalf of Sanofi, I would like to thank and commend you and your colleagues and express our strong support for your bill, H.R. 2052, the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013.'' As you know, the ``Global Investment in American Jobs Act'' is bicameral and bipartisan legislation aimed at improving America's ability to attract job-creating foreign direct investment (FDI) from businesses around the world. The bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to implement a comprehensive review of the United States' ability to attract foreign direct investment. The review will look at what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. It will also look at what other countries are doing that we should follow and what other countries are doing that we should avoid. Following this review, the Secretary will issue recommendations for all agencies of government setting out a comprehensive plan for improving U.S. global competiveness for attracting foreign investment.
FDI in the United States has been an engine for economic growth, fueling U.S. manufacturing, innovation, trade, and overall job creation. U.S. subsidiaries of foreign-headquartered companies account for 5.8 percent of U.S. private sector GDP and employ 5.6 million American workers, including two million in the manufacturing sector. In addition, these companies produce 18 percent of all U.S. exports, fund 14 percent of annual research and development activities, and support a diverse supplier network throughout the country, purchasing goods and services worth hundreds of billions of dollars every year from thousands of small and medium-sized American companies.
While the U.S. remains the world's leading recipient of foreign direct investment, our global share of such investment has dropped significantly since the turn of the 21st century, from 41 percent in 1999 to just over 17 percent in 2011. In March, the Department of Commerce released new data showing the U.S. received $174.7 billion in global investment for 2012, a decrease of 25% compared with $234 billion the previous year. Foreign-headquartered companies, such as Sanofi, have many options when looking to invest, expand, or establish new operations, including into emerging economies. In this challenging global environment, the U.S. must position itself to compete for job-creating FDI.
Sanofi has made a significant investment in the U.S. Sanofi employs more than 17,000 through our U.S. affiliates in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, animal health, consumer health and rare diseases. Sanofi has R&D facilities in 8 states (AZ, CA, GA, MA, MD, MO, NJ, and PA) and important R&D partnerships with organizations such as Harvard, MIT and Dana-Farber, reflecting the importance of research and development to the company in the U.S. Our U.S. affiliates have manufacturing, packaging or distribution sites in 9 states (MO, PA, TN, MA, NJ, MN, NC, GA, MD and NV). Our U.S. affiliates export products from 7 states (GA, PA, MA, MO, NJ, TN, and MN). And we have more than $4 billion in contracts with over 15,000 vendors and suppliers throughout the U.S.
H.R. 2052 has the support of a broad range of cosponsors who understand that investment from around the globe is important to every state and region across this country. As a result, H.R. 2052 was unanimously approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 17, 2013. The House of Representatives passed similar legislation during the 112th Congress with strong bipartisan support. Passing this legislation will be an important step in enhancing/ U.S. competitiveness and reinvigorating job growth in our country.
Thank you once again for your work and commitment to incentivize FDI in the United States to expand the job market and strengthen our economy.
Sincerely,
Patrick McLain,
Vice President, Federal Government
Affairs, Policy & Issues Management.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2052, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________
