Washington, D.C. – As Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) seeks to move legislation to fund long-delayed semiconductor manufacturing incentives, leaders from SAFE’s Energy Security Leadership Council and American Semiconductor Center urged other Congressional leaders to join in passing the funding bill and sending it to President Biden’s desk for signature.
“America created the semiconductor industry as we responded to the Soviet threat during the Cold War, and it remains vital to our national security. Today, while we continue to lead in chip design and many other areas, we no longer produce the most advanced chips required to power the technologies of tomorrow such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, and electric and autonomous vehicles,” wrote Admiral Dennis Blair, USN (Ret.), Gen. James Conway, USMC (Ret.), Adam M. Goldstein, and Semiconductor Center co-chairs Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, USN (Ret.) and Michael R. Splinter. “These technologies are critical to maintain a modern economy and ensure our traditional military advantage.”
To ensure America’s continued global leadership in semiconductor technology and reduce our dependency on vulnerable overseas supply chains, the signatories recommend Congress consider the following steps moving forward:
- Remove CHIPS funding from other China competitiveness legislation and send it to the President as a freestanding bill.
- Ensure that under the bill that goes to the President, non-U.S. companies based in countries that are our friends and allies (who in some cases will bring leading edge manufacturing capabilities no U.S. company can match) can compete for CHIPS investment on a fair and equal footing.
- For an even stronger package, add to the CHIPS funding the Facilitating American-Build Semiconductors (FABS) Act tax credit to provide a stable, predictable, longer-term incentive for industry that would build on the momentum from the CHIPS funding.
- Consider bipartisan legislation along the lines of HR 7870 and S. 3451 to expand the expedited environmental review and permitting process under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, commonly known as FAST-41, to include semiconductor and other technology-related infrastructure projects.
Admiral Blair is the former Director of National Intelligence and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. Gen. Conway was the 34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Goldstein served as President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. Mr. Splinter was Chairman and CEO of Applied Materials and is a Board Member of TSMC. Admiral Greenert served as the 30th Chief of Naval Operations.
Read the full letters here:
Letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Letter to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy
Letter to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
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Contact: Bridget Dunn | 202.539.7885 | bdunn@secureenergy.org
SAFE’s American Semiconductor Center aims to strengthen the U.S. and allied semiconductor ecosystem and safeguard our economic and national security at a time of market change and strategic competition. The Center brings together partners from the semiconductor industry, end-users, senior business and military leaders, and allied and friendly governments.
