WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate passed bipartisan legislation to support American solar manufacturers and workers and to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for breaking American trade laws and using slave and child labor to produce these products. Senator Scott led the measure in the Senate where it passed with bipartisan support. Today’s vote follows the House passage of this measure last week, which was led by Congressman Bill Posey. The measure now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

In 2022, the Department of Commerce caught Communist China circumventing U.S. trade laws. To avoid American tariffs, Xi's regime started sending Chinese-made solar products, made with slave labor, to Southeast Asian countries and claiming they were made in the corresponding nation. The measure utilizes the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to rescind a recent Commerce Department rule, which allowed Chinese solar manufacturers to circumvent U.S. tariffs by delivering their products to the U.S. through third-party countries, all to the detriment of American companies and workers.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Communist China’s solar panel manufacturing is based on slave and child labor, government subsidies and trade abuses. Today, in a bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate affirmed that the United States will never tolerate a hostile takeover of our industries and will always stand against slave and child labor. Today’s vote is good for American jobs, protects U.S. national security and holds accountable those who commit horrific human rights abuses. When you break American trade laws and use slave labor, you pay the price. I want to thank all my colleagues who supported this CRA and Congressman Bill Posey for his hard work getting it passed in the House of Representatives. Now, this CRA heads to the president’s desk, and I urge President Biden to sign it and stand up to Communist China.”

Congressman Bill Posey said, “Every day that this rule is in effect the CCP gets closer to dominating the solar market, making it harder for Americans to compete. Today’s bipartisan vote in the Senate scores another big win for American solar manufacturers and workers while holding China accountable for violating our trade laws. I applaud Senator Rick Scott and supporters in the Senate for taking the lead on this bipartisan issue and standing up for American competitiveness.”

Watch Senator Scott’s speech HERE or below.

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