A bill authorizing the use of up to $45 million in funding for U.S. semiconductor research and development, as well as production, has now passed the House of Representatives on a 222 to 210 vote.
The legislation, America Competes Act of 2022, has a total price tag of $300 billion and is designed, in part, to address the country’s dearth in semiconductor manufacturing, which has been particularly on display in recent months as a result of global supply chain challenges.
In a press release, Pennsylvania Representative Madeleine Dean said that by providing support for new semiconductor production facilities, the legislation will help to “revitalize communities across our nation that have suffered substantial manufacturing job losses for decades.”
The measure additionally provides for up to $45 million to fund a program specifically designed to bolster domestic supply chains for critical goods.
The 3,000-page bill is also calling for stepped up funding for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well the Energy Department’s Office of Science.
House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, taking note of a process that has taken months and fused a number of other pieces of legislation, said the Competes Act is designed to “address the critical needs identified by the scientific community, industry, academia, and other stakeholders as what they need most to succeed in the 21st century.”
Last summer members of the Senate passed the US Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, which provides funding for many of the same goals of the House legislation. The differences between the two bills will now have to be reconciled by a conference committee.
By Garry Boulard
