1 of 3 | President Joe Biden met remotely with Michigan lawmakers Tuesday, marking the signing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive directive to implement the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. File Photo courtesy of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Office
Aug. 2 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met remotely with Michigan lawmakers Tuesday, marking the signing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive directive to implement the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
"The way I see this bill in Michigan is, it's about chips and it's about cars," said Biden, who participated in the meeting via video as he recovers from a rebound case of COVID-19. "The bill will supercharge our effort to make superconductors here in America. These tiny little computer chips the size of a fingertip that are the building blocks for the modern economy, they power everything."
Biden was originally scheduled to travel to Michigan to talk about the recently passed bill that will provide funds to increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing and innovation amid a global shortage of the components that are needed for autos and all kinds of electronics.
The bill is expected to provide $280 billion in a bipartisan effort to compete with offshore producers of semiconductor chips. It includes $52 billion in incentives for domestic semiconductor production and research.
Biden called the funding for set aside for existing "legacy" chip manufactures important.
"This bill funds the entire semiconductor supply chain, from research and development to key inputs in polysilicon," said Biden, who added he expects the bill to provide 1 million construction jobs over five years, above and beyond positions created in the industry itself.
The bill also provides authorization of about $100 billion over the next five years for programs that include expanding regional technology hubs to support start-up companies in areas of the country that haven't usually gotten tech funding.
Michigan has been one of the states hardest hit by the semiconductor industry because new automobiles need the technology.
Biden showed his enthusiasm for the bill, referring to a newspaper headline.
It was a "headline that said, 'Semiconductor vote thrills automakers.' I know it sure as hell thrilled me and it thrilled everybody around this White House," he told viewers, calling the auto industry "the heart and soul of the nation."
"America invented these semiconductors, but over the years, we let manufacturing of these semiconductors get overseas," Biden said, thanking Whitmer, who introduced him.
Whitmer said her state will now "compete for every project, every program and every resource," while estimating the semiconductor industry will need 90,000 new workers by 2025.
"This helps us deal with the economic challenges we face," said Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee, who helped push the bill forward. "The CHIPS and Science Act will also help us compete with our global competition to help win the 21st century, to help own the 21st century economy.
"It's really an issue of national competitiveness and national security. Chips were invented here in the United States but not made here now. We can't depend on other countries for such a critical component in our economy."
