WASHINGTON,
DC – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) held a virtual roundtable event with
OhioX, a statewide nonprofit association with a mission focused on building
Ohio into a tech hub. Brown is working to invest in American innovation and
advanced manufacturing, and to create good-paying technology jobs in Ohio.
As
a part of this, Brown has played a leading role in ensuring the bipartisan
U.S.
Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) passed the Senate in June of
2021.
Companion
legislation has also passed the House of Representatives. Brown said he
expects negotiations to begin soon on a final bill, which would support Intel’s
plan to build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in New Albany, which is
expected to create 10,000 jobs.
“Ohioans
know that for too long, we’ve let innovation move abroad. Even technology that
we invented increasingly gets commercialized by our competitors,” said Brown. “So
much of what we’re doing is about combatting that, keeping innovation here, and
burying the term ‘rust belt.’ The infrastructure bill we passed last year is
going to work together with these innovation investments, and together they
they have the potential to be transformational for our state’s economy.”
All
sectors of the economy need access to semiconductor chips, and the need is
particularly significant for the domestic auto industry. Today’s cars include
high-end electronic components that improve vehicle efficiency and safety, and
these electronic components rely upon semiconductors to function.
"OhioX
and our members are grateful that Senator Brown joined us to discuss Ohio's
exciting tech momentum. It's vital we build technology in America and Ohio is
the perfect place to do it,” said Chris Berry, President of OhioX.
“Ohioans are building our state into the Silicon Heartland and Senator Brown's
leadership on issues such as the CHIPS for America Act is vitally important as
we work to build Ohio into a tech hub."
The
U.S. relies heavily on overseas production of semiconductor chips. Currently 75
percent of chip manufacturing capacity is in Asian countries – mainly Taiwan,
South Korea, Japan, and China. Shortages have caused severe supply chain issues
for Ohio manufacturers, leading to long wait times and higher prices for goods
Ohioans rely on. Brown has pushed for key provisions in the
CHIPS
for America Act, which is a part of USICA, and would provide
$52 billion to fully implement American semiconductor production and which
Intel has said is necessary for its investment in Ohio. This will help address
supply chain disruptions, lower prices, and ensure that more semiconductors are
produced here at home.
Brown
has been
working
to secure solutions for the semiconductor crisis for the last year, having
written a
letter
with Sen. Portman to Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic
Council, urging the administration to support efforts to secure the necessary
funding to swiftly implement the semiconductor-related provisions in the most
recent defense spending bill, to boost semiconductor manufacturing and
incentivize the domestic production of semiconductors in the future.
Brown
has worked for decades to build an economy that encourages investment in the
United States, especially the expansion of domestic manufacturing. In January,
Brown joined President Biden, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Commerce Secretary Gina
Raimondo and Senator Rob Portman to
announce
that Intel will build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in New Albany. The
plant will establish a long-term, reliable source of semiconductors, which are
essential to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. It also will
support critical Ohio industries, like the auto industry and other high-tech
manufacturing.
Brown
worked with local and state leaders and other members of Ohio’s Congressional
delegation to ensure that Intel chose Ohio for what will be its most advanced
manufacturing facility in the world. This project will help reverse decades of
offshoring American manufacturing. With this facility, chips will become a
major Ohio export.
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