- February 8, 2022
WATCH: Kelly Pushes to Get Microchips Bill Across the Finish Line
Legislation would address global supply chain issues, reduce costs, and bring manufacturing jobs back to America
Earlier today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly spoke at a press conference in the U.S. Senate on his efforts to get the $52 billion bipartisan agreement he helped negotiate to boost microchip manufacturing signed into law as soon as possible.
“After nearly a year of work, we are as close as ever to pass this bipartisan legislation that will address this microchip shortage by bringing more of this manufacturing capacity back to U.S. soil,” Kelly said in his remarks. “…Now, we need to work quickly to bridge our differences. I’m ready to do just that to get our plan over the finish line.”
Kelly was a key negotiator of the microchip provisions that were included in USICA, which passed the Senate in June. Kelly has continued to work with the core group of bipartisan Senators and House members on a path forward to ensure these provisions are signed into law.
You can watch Kelly’s remarks HERE. A transcript is below.
“Thank you and good afternoon everybody. Right now, folks in every state – including in my state of Arizona – are feeling the squeeze of rising costs.
One of the big challenges that’s facing our supply chains is the global shortage of microchips, which go into everything from cars, appliances, even your vacuum cleaner, to the most sophisticated fighter jets.
The global microchip shortage has led many U.S. companies to have to stop or scale back manufacturing. That drives up costs for families.
And right now, we overly rely on microchips that are manufactured overseas. That puts us at a competitive disadvantage, including with adversaries like China.
After nearly a year of work, we are as close as ever to pass this bipartisan legislation that will address this microchip shortage by bringing more of this manufacturing capacity back to U.S. soil.
A $52 billion plan we negotiated with Republicans and Democrats was included in both the US Innovation and Competition Act, which passed the Senate in June, but also in the America COMPETES Act, which the House passed last week.
This legislation supports plans announced by companies like Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and others to build large-scale microchip manufacturing in the U.S., including in the state of Arizona.
That will create thousands of great-paying jobs – not good-paying jobs, but great-paying jobs – and boost struggling supply chains, which will lower costs for families. This is so critical.
After a lot of hard work, we have made progress in getting this through the House and the Senate. Now, we need to work quickly to bridge our differences. I’m ready to do just that to get our plan over the finish line.
Thank you.”
