Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Sen. Mark Kelly, shown enjoying a hamburger and a drink during a previous visit to Graham County, reports on the status of new microchip manufacturing in America.
Contributed Article
Kelly worked to usher the CHIPS and Science Act into law which boosts U.S. microchip manufacturing and research, strengthens national security, and much more
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who championed the CHIPS and Science Act, issued this statement after the U.S. Department of Commerce launched the first application process for chipmakers to access manufacturing incentives, secured by Kelly, to build new factories and expand production. The law boosts microchip manufacturing in the United States, strengthens our national security, brings supply chains and high-paying microchip manufacturing jobs back to America, and lowers costs.
“When we first sat down with Republicans and Democrats to work on boosting American microchip manufacturing, we came together around shared priorities of protecting our national security, growing our economy, creating good-paying jobs, and increasing our competitive edge over adversaries like China. Almost six months after our plan was signed into law, this is an exciting step to put it into motion and ensure that it’s felt by businesses and workers in Arizona and across the country. There is more work ahead, and I’ll continue to work with our Arizona partners and with Secretary Raimondo to ensure that our law is successfully implemented,” said Senator Kelly, a chief negotiator of the CHIPS law.
Last week, Kelly led a bipartisan letter outlining key ways Commerce can streamline the implementation of the CHIPS law to ensure the federal government meets the law’s goals and congressional intent. Arizona is home to some of the largest chipmakers and is poised to grow thanks to Kelly’s CHIPS law and investment plans from Intel and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The law will create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs in Arizona, many of which will not require a four-year degree, strengthen our national security, fix supply chains, lower costs, and ensure the United States leads the world in the research and development of semiconductors.
