117th Congress Accomplishments

The CHIPS and Science Law

January 1, 2025


"We know that innovation is in the DNA of Americans. We know it's helped us win the world wars, it's helped us cure disease, it's helped create millions of jobs. We don't know exactly what innovations will come out of this, but we do know this: America will be more competitive because of it. And…we will be able to grow our economy for the future because of the investments that we've made today." – Senator Cantwell


Over the last 50 years, the United States has fallen behind in technology research and development. Today, the United States produces only about 10 percent of the world’s semiconductor supply—and none of the most advanced chips. This technology is needed for almost everything – from cell phones to laptops, cars to military equipment – and is key to our economic strength.

A global chip shortage during the pandemic caused supply chain disruptions, higher costs for goods and threatened America’s global competitiveness. In fact, Senator Cantwell highlighted the impact on consumers in Washington state as used car prices spiked 40%. And the growing chip demand is expected to add nearly 115,000 new semiconductor jobs by 2030 – but the United States is expected to face a shortage of 67,000 workers to fill those jobs, unless investments in our workforce are made. 

To reignite American manufacturing and respond to the nation’s technology deficit, Senator Cantwell was a lead architect of the historic CHIPS and Science Law. The law invests nearly $250 billion over the next five years to boost vital, cutting-edge research, bolster the nation's tech leadership and spur American innovation everywhere from big cities to small towns. That’s one of the largest five-year federal research and development investments in U.S. history.

President Biden signs the CHIPS and Science Act on August 9, 2022


As a result of the law, all five major leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers are now producing chips in the United States.

To date, the law has delivered: 

  • $450 billion+ in chip manufacturing investments from private companies to build and expand chip manufacturing sites across the country, supporting more than 128,000 direct manufacturing and construction jobs.

  • Up to $541 million plus an additional up to $500 million for regional Tech Hubs and $9.5 million for Consortium Accelerator Awards to build world-class innovation centers across the nation that will find discoveries from aerospace to medicine.

View the CHIPS Funding Delivered

View the Designated Regional Tech Hubs

View the National Science Foundation TIP Directorate Awards

 

In Washington state, Senator Cantwell championed Spokane’s American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center for being named the U.S. Tech Hub for aerospace materials manufacturing, after she secured funding for the region. Among many other awards received, the Pacific Northwest is set to receive $36 billion from Intel to expand chipmaking in Southwest Washington/Oregon.

…

As Chair, Sen. Cantwell successfully shepherded the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), a precursor to the CHIPS and Science Act, through the Senate Commerce Committee and successfully led the bill to passage by the Senate. 

Senator Cantwell chaired the 107-member Conference Committee to negotiate differences between the Senate’s USICA bill and the House’s America COMPETES Act, which kicked off in May 2022.

When republican leaders threatened to derail negotiations, Senator Cantwell successfully rallied a last-minute bipartisan push to secure the inclusion of historic investments in scientific research and development.

Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act in July 2022, and President Biden signed it into law on August 9, 2022.