Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted for the CHIPS and Science Act, a powerful bipartisan investment in strengthening our economic and national security, catalyzing semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, creating good-paying American jobs, and lowering costs for families here at home. Previously passed by the Senate, this legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“Today, I proudly voted for the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act – a huge win for Wisconsin workers, manufacturers, and our economy,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “This legislation makes critical investments in American manufacturing while lowering costs for families, standing up to China, creating jobs here at home, and securing our supply chains. The CHIPS and Science Act will help ensure our country remains a global leader in innovation and technology for generations to come, and I’m looking forward to seeing it swiftly signed into law.”
A nationwide shortage of semiconductor chips has disrupted American manufacturing – slowing down production, spiking prices, and increasing dependence on foreign nations. Only 12 percent of semiconductor chips are currently manufactured domestically – a dramatic drop from 37 percent in the 1990s – while foreign competitors are investing heavily to dominate this critical national security industry.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act will reverse this trend and reassert America’s economic independence. This legislation:
- Lowers cost for American families – by making more critical semiconductor components in America, helping end the shortage of chips that have driven up the price of everything from cars to consumer goods.
- Creates 100,000 new good-paying jobs – creates strong jobs building manufacturing facilities here in America.
- Ends our dependence on foreign manufacturers – bringing critical semiconductor manufacturing back to America instead of overseas.
- Turbocharges American R&D – powering America’s preeminence in both basic research and next-generation technologies and ensuring that the technologies of the future are made here in America.
- Expands the innovation workforce – helping to build the STEM workforce through scholarships and training programs and advancing regional technology hubs to ensure communities across the country can help in American research and development.