Senator’s legislation streamlines semiconductor manufacturing projects funding from Sinema’s CHIPS and Science law
WASHINGTON – The U.S House of Representatives passed the Building Chips in America Act — bipartisan legislation Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema introduced with U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The legislation streamlines lengthy National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review requirements that would severely delay the completion of semiconductor manufacturing projects funded through Sinema’s CHIPS and Science law.
“In order to remain globally competitive in semiconductor manufacturing, we must cut red tape to fuel the completion of critical facilities and projects. I’m thrilled our bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House — and I look forward to it being signed into law,” said Sinema.
Last year, Sinema and a group of nearly 120 bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers called for the inclusion of the Building Chips in America Act in the annual bipartisan defense legislation. The Building Chips in America Act cleared the Senate as part of the annual bipartisan defense legislation with broad, bipartisan support. In their letter, Sinema and her colleagues urged the Armed Services Committees leaders to maintain the commonsense bill in the final version of the annual defense legislation. After not passing as part of the House’s annual defense legislation it was passed unanimously by the Senate in December.
Sinema worked for nearly two years to negotiate and champion the CHIPS and Science Act, a $52 billion plan to boost domestic microchip manufacturing. Thanks to her leadership, Arizona is well positioned to become a global hub for microelectronics research, development, testing, manufacturing, and packaging. With new semiconductor facilities being constructed in Maricopa County, Arizona workers are already feeling the impact of this historic law.
In June 2020, Sinema first introduced the CHIPS for America Act with Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. The CHIPS and Science Act included the funding to make Sinema’s CHIPS in America Act operational. Sinema was instrumental in passing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act into law, partnering with Republican Senator Todd Young (Ind.) to prevent the legislation from partisan collapse on the Senate floor.
Since the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, more than $60 billion in private investment for 38 semiconductor industry projects have been announced in Arizona.