Source: MeriTalk
Senate leadership is making the legislative moves necessary to begin work in earnest on reconciling two different versions of innovation and competition legislation that features billions of funding to boost domestic semiconductor production and create a new technology directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Along those lines, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., filed cloture on the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act on March 17.
On the Senate floor, Schumer then laid out his plan of action that involves the Senate taking up the America COMPETES to amend it with the text of the Senate-passed United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), passing it, then sending the resulting legislation back to the House for conferencing.
“Last summer the Senate passed an overwhelmingly bipartisan bill that will bring manufacturing jobs back to America, fix supply chains, fuel scientific research, and ultimately lower costs by a significant amount,” Sen. Schumer said. “The bipartisan bill would be great news for our economy, our entrepreneurs, our innovators, and especially families who are feeling the sting because of the chip shortage.”
“We all know the chip shortage is hurting so many people,” he continued. “It’s hurting the auto industry that’s had to temporarily shut down factories. It’s hurt our tech industry, our health care industry, and so many others. So let’s solve this quickly.”
Each of the bills contains $52 billion to fully fund the CHIPS Act – a measure included in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act – in addition to other investments in domestic research and development.