Golden Votes to Bolster American Manufacturing, Improve Supply Chains, and Decrease Reliance on China

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) voted today to pass the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act through the House of Representatives. The bill aims to improve supply chains, create jobs by bringing production back home, and reduce our reliance on foreign manufacturers in unfriendly countries like China. 

 “Over the last two years, we’ve learned in real time the true costs of companies moving their manufacturing overseas,” said Congressman Golden. “It wasn’t just the loss of American jobs, it also created a fragile supply chain that leaves us at the whims of China and other countries often hostile to American interests. This legislation will help ensure that the crucial components important to our lives are made in America by Americans, minimizing disruptions from abroad and helping to lower and stabilize prices in the long run for consumers. I’m proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bolster our economy and build things in America again.” 

The bill is in part designed to improve American competitiveness with China, which has invested heavily in a wide range of research and technology development areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, and telecommunications for a number of years. Semiconductors are critical to American daily life given the wide range of products, from microwaves to phones, that need them to function. Currently, only 15 percent of semiconductors are produced domestically, leaving American supply chains vulnerable to international conflicts and disruptions.  

The legislation contains important provisions that prioritize American manufacturing, help create jobs in our country, and boost scientific innovation by:

• Authorizing $2 billion for a CHIPS for America Defense Fund, a national network for the onshore development of semiconductor technologies;
• Authorizing $200 million to kick start development of the domestic semiconductor workforce;
• Authorizing $81 billion total over five years for the National Science Foundation to establish research opportunities, build the STEM workforce, and address inequities faced by rural students that make it harder to access quality STEM education;
• Authorizing additional funding for the expansion of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which works to track and address supply chain disruptions; and
• Authorizing additional funding for a series of programs to enhance the commercialization of clean energy technologies across the nation.

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