In an age of deep partisan divides, it was perhaps surprising that Congress passed the “CHIPS and Science Act” by wide margins — roughly two-to-one in the Senate and by more than 50 votes in the House of Representatives.
It is less surprising, however, given the even deeper bipartisan concern over economic and strategic competition from China.
The bill President Biden is expected to sign into law authorizes investing up to $280 billion over five years — assuming Congress follows up with annual appropriations bills, which is the normal two-part process. Even if there are changes around the edges, the core direction is set: The federal government will invest a ton of money into reviving the semiconductor chip industry in the United States.
;
