Can the U.S. effectively compete against China?

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Guest thinks that we're not doing enough to compete with China and I want to include deep -- here.

As guys like say on -- where visitors warrants but first let's meet Melanie heart.

Policy -- Center for American Progress.

And she is on at -- in Prague on Twitter if you want to follow her Melanie good morning good to see you.

Good morning thank you for having me so first of all tell me what you think the problem is in terms of competing with China.

Well for too early in the energy industry China is target -- clean energy as one of the sectors.

Where the US doesn't yet have a massive -- it.

-- they think they might be able to get the jump on US companies -- clean energy technology and come out on top of this market.

If the government gives Chinese companies an edge.

Through group policies such as subsidies that help them lower their manufacturing costs abroad.

Now a lot of US companies are beginning to challenge those policies and they're pushing the Obama administration and their represented -- com and congress.

To do more to keep the playing field level but -- the US and China and to make sure that is the best technologies that come out on top that they ended the day.

Not the companies with -- best friends in government China.

I want to put some words up on the screen these are some of the -- -- -- you talked with one of our producers about how according to American progress how we can become more competitive one as modernizing our basic infrastructure.

Can you go through the I don't know if you can see some of these that can you gotta throw a couple of days.

Sure -- the -- is that our -- next generation technologies in the United States are facing two problems.

One is that they often don't have a level playing field with China.

Another is that they often don't have a level playing field at home.

Our federal government is directing our hard on earned tax dollars towards supporting big oil.

And other fossil fuel companies that already have -- all of their infrastructure and plays and really don't need that extra help.

In reality it's the next generation technologies that need government assistance we need to be doing more to invest in better infrastructure.

And educating aren't educating America's children to be better in math and engineering and science -- that we can compete.

With -- Expertise and talent that's coming out of China we have federal public -- -- -- for with federal policies here are focusing too much.

On the technologies in the past like -- oil and coal and not enough on investing in the foundations for technologies in the future that will allow us to keep.

Keep competing and stay on top going forward.

Our ability -- joining us this morning talking about ways that we can possibly be more competitive with China.

You see some of them there on the screen with all the respect it was -- it sounds like you're talking about doing a whole lot of spending.

And I would just say since you're talking about China and we -- them.

I don't know what trillion dollars in some new number that maybe this spending might be a huge amount of money.

-- could we maybe also get our financial house in order and that would make us more competitive with China because if you not to service your debt.

You can't for the focus more on those things.

Absolutely and this they're real fact is that we -- -- you both at the same time.

Because that America is actually spending four billion dollars a year.

And providing subsidies to big oil companies that are already making -- -- of money and profits and really don't need extra help so we don't need to.

Take more money from middle class pockets rather we just need to use the money that we have.

And a better way.

We would never send our troops to Iraq and Afghanistan with the technologies from a hundred years ago but our policies are actually geared towards the oil technologies from a hundred years ago rather -- the technologies that we need to remain competitive today so is not about -- more -- about spending smartly.

I DD Yankee joining us on such as a Republican strategy -- your thoughts.

I think Donald -- right Donald Trump has a way of harping on this issue and I'm glad because he's bringing attention to the -- -- that these are his words he says China's cruises over all the time.

Now.

Am -- -- a lot of us that it it how does it.

Spells things -- we give them an -- -- I don't want a level playing field I want.

Us they have the advantage I think that they should not get subsidies I don't think they should get tax breaks.

I think American company should be rewarded.

For being in our country and not make it cheaper to be in China and it's not right so I don't -- a level playing field don't want them -- -- -- -- United States have the advantage when it comes.

To the new energy is well gosh let's make it very face first in a pipeline.

To that so we he get the advantage -- not China right now they still have been an achievement in that fundamental energy.

Area so before we spent 500 billion dollars on excellent draft which went nowhere as big waste money let's build the pipeline it lets get the basics down and -- like you said Harris.

Get our financial house in order what do you -- out about getting the basics down Melanie.

I.

Absolutely agree that we need to get our financial house in order and the best thing that we can do to get our house in order.

It's a stop spending billions of dollars a year on technologies of the past.

I worked very hard for my own salary and I do not want my tax dollars going towards clean energy company at -- -- big oil companies.

I'd rather have those pollen those tax dollars supporting new technologies -- could reduce my energy bills and they feature and free up some of my money -- -- destiny thing because it features such as my.

Such as my children's college education.

It's important.

It's important thing that later it was ridiculous I was -- ton of money and it would be very easy to -- the pipeline and create jobs.

And bring energy cost him his -- gases at five dollars right now I think we need to make sure and -- -- not five dollars plus gallons and spending.

500 billion dollars -- -- big waste of time that was ridiculous you don't know.

I wanted to have been here for 12 is dean makes that point there are a number of Americans maybe even millions of them -- haven't talked to them personally.

-- surveys that suggest -- Americans were concerned about where we are right now and a lot of what you're talking about it's kind of forecasting into the future what would you say about -- people.

We're having to pay as I'm sure you are above four dollars a gallon gas right now.

Well then the -- -- -- -- is to open up more choices for American people this country is all about freedom of choice.

We should have choices to pay hit the gas prices to put like two or -- to have more efficient vehicles that would result a lower gas bill.

To put solar panels on our house of -- like to do so and reduce our utility bills to zero.

What I would like to see is a country where consumers have more choice that they would likely have a guest says guzzling vehicle they can if they don't they don't have to if -- like to spend all of your money paying high utility bills that goes straight to the coal company find.

But if you'd like to opt out of that system and do something that saves you money and might actually earn money if you can generate so much solar that you sell that back to the electric company.

Then that just opens up a wider array of where a range of choices for the American people and in my opinion that's what this country is all about us.

Should it coal industry -- because right now the Obama administration is just about the destroying coal which is a huge resource for us and then what about natural gas.

Call natural gas -- these things are very important right now to get.

Gas prices down people can even go get their gaps.

You know before -- -- -- go Melanie we have an interactive live chat and wildcat line as saying my -- uses gasoline I cannot afford to buy another vehicle.

And I'm thinking what wildcat -- -- say is telegraphing out.

Another vehicle that might use a different substance -- -- gasoline.

People are sort of where they are right now -- Melanie heart I'm glad you're here policy -- Center for American Progress thanks for the conversations today if you think you.

All right our.

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Can the U.S. effectively compete against China?

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