WASHINGTON — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today applauded the Keep China Out of Solar Energy Act introduced by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and John Barrasso (R-WY). The legislation would prohibit federal funds from being used to buy solar panels from companies based in China, or entities controlled by or tied to the Chinese Communist Party which are known for using forced labor. CPA is the only national, bipartisan organization exclusively representing domestic producers across many sectors of the U.S. economy, including the solar industry.
“We applaud Senator Scott for leading his colleagues in introducing this important legislation,” CPA Chair Zach Mottl said. “U.S. taxpayers should not be funding China’s rise, let alone the Communist Party’s genocide and use of forced labor that has allowed China’s chokehold on the global solar industry to tighten. Congress should include this proposal in any infrastructure package and build on it by implementing policies to enable the entire U.S. solar industry — including the good-paying jobs it supports — to grow and become fully self-sufficient. The U.S. cannot afford to be reliant on China for solar and renewable energy goods and equipment.”
Earlier this month, CPA’s economics team released a report titled, “Reclaiming the US Solar Supply Chain from China.” The white paper documents the current state of the U.S. solar manufacturing industry and provides key recommendations for policymakers on how to counter Chinese dominance over the global supply chain that threatens U.S. energy independence and U.S. technology leadership in this critical industry. Importantly, the white paper recommends banning all products made with forced labor.
“The Chinese Communist Party is executing its plan to dominate the global solar supply chain. They are using forced labor and dirty energy to do it,” said Michael Stumo, CEO of CPA. “It is wrong to allow taxpayer dollars to fund Chinese solar companies profiting from forced labor rather than the U.S. supply chain. At a time when the Chinese Communist Party is actively committing atrocities including genocide against its citizens, Congress must ensure U.S. companies — and tens of millions of unwitting U.S. consumers — do not fund China’s crimes.”
Media Contact:
Nick Iacovella, Communications Director
nick@prosperousamerica.org
(202) 688-5145 ext. 0
