A bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and JD Vance (R-OH), the Invent Here, Make Here Act of 2023, seeks to prevent taxpayer-funded inventions from being manufactured in countries considered hostile to the US, such as China. Current law mandates US manufacturing for these inventions, but waivers are often granted, allowing foreign companies to produce cutting-edge technologies developed with American taxpayer dollars. This bill aims to close that loophole.

The senators highlighted a case involving vanadium redox flow batteries, a technology invented in a federally-funded lab, where manufacturing was licensed to China. They argue that American taxpayers should be the primary beneficiaries of innovations funded by their contributions. The proposed legislation aims to bolster domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, and create American jobs by ensuring that taxpayer-funded research translates into American-made products.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Sen. JD Vance (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar, File)

Building upon a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which strengthened the waiver process for inventions at the Department of Homeland Security, the Invent Here, Make Here Act expands these regulations to encompass all federally funded programs. Furthermore, it would prohibit waivers for companies planning to manufacture in countries deemed concerning, which currently includes China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

The bill also mandates improved interagency collaboration, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to promote the commercialization of federal research by US manufacturers. This initiative has received support from organizations like the Coalition for a Prosperous America, which advocates for bringing critical technology manufacturing back to the United States.