Senate eyes R&D bill to counter China, bolster manufacturing

WASHINGTON (AP) — What started as a pragmatic effort to boost scientific research and development has morphed into sweeping Senate bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries, including $50 billion in emergency funds to shore up domestic computer chip manufacturing.

The American Innovation and Competition Act is key to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plans and headed toward crucial votes late Thursday. It’s also a test of whether the split 50-50 Senate can accomplish bipartisan achievements at a time when there’s pressure on Democrats to change the rules to push past obstruction and gridlock.

Senators slogged through days of debates and amendments toward a possible final vote.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the Commerce Committee chairwoman managing the debate for Democrats, said, “I actually think we have gotten more mindshare with people about why this is important, right, because we had an open debate process.”

The measure has enjoyed broad, bipartisan support, but became weighted down by the sheer scope of the effort. As the bill swelled to more than 1,000 pages — actually, it's a collection of bills — Republicans threw up caution signs and senators in both parties sought additions and changes.

A top Republican author, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, characterized his underlying proposal — the Endless Frontier Act he co-authored with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — as part of the country’s history of innovation, like the moon landing or launch of the internet, that Washington needs to foster if America is to remain competitive.

“It’s not about beating China,” Young said in a speech Thursday. He said it’s about rising to the challenge posed by China “to be a better version of ourselves.”

Biden had included elements of the...