Griffith Statement on CHIPS-Plus Bill

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting against the CHIPS-Plus bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

“I want the United States to compete and win against China in the global economy and support efforts that would enhance our country’s position. The CHIPS-Plus bill that the Senate sent to the House does not do so.

“If the bill simply supported domestic production of semiconductors, I would have looked at it favorably. Instead, the bill was loaded with extra spending and bad policies that would not benefit American economic performance.

“It doles out more money for the National Science Foundation than for semiconductors. In fact, it doubles the amount authorized for spending on the National Science Foundation.

“Further, it authorizes projects with little relevance to economic competitiveness, such as ocean acidification research.

“As happens too often in Washington, a proposal with widespread agreement gets tied together with unrelated matters. Both the Senate and House bills included far too many provisions pushed by both Democrats and Republicans with little relation to semiconductors. It is a poor way to do the nation’s business.

“Our country now confronts economic difficulties that highlight the need for targeted and effective legislation. CHIPS-Plus fails to meet this standard.”