One Year In, CHIPS Act Brings Jobs and Hope to Upstate New York
Micron’s Planned $100 Billion Facility Aims to Revitalize the Syracuse Area
NEW YORK — Today, August 9th, is the one-year anniversary of President Biden signing the CHIPS and Science Act into law. The law is a central part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, aiming to rebuild domestic manufacturing and supply chains while revitalizing local communities with high-paying union jobs. In the year since its passage, the CHIPS and Science Act has spurred more than $231 billion in private-sector investment in electronics manufacturing projects around the country, including a $100 billion investment by Micron in upstate New York.
Micron’s proposed manufacturing facility is a massive investment in the greater Syracuse area, which has been hemorrhaging jobs and people for decades as core manufacturing facilities—once the backbone of the Rust Belt city’s economy—have shut down. The four new “chip fab” facilities are projected to create 50,000 jobs in the region over the next 20 years, including 9,000 at Micron. These fabrication plants offer opportunities for both workers with and without college degrees, with 60% of semiconductor manufacturing roles not requiring a Bachelor’s degree.
Despite passing with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, the CHIPS and Science Act faced immense Republican opposition, with over 200 Republicans in Congress voting against the final bill. Then-candidate Brandon Williams, who now represents the Syracuse area where Micron is building its new microchip facility, attacked the legislation from the campaign trail as “corporate welfare” and “pork [being] pushed out to the special interests.” The CHIPS Act was not the only legislation Williams took issue with from the campaign trail, levying significant criticism on the Inflation Reduction Act—another law that has provided support to working-class communities around New York.
“The CHIPS and Science Act is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when our Members of Congress come together in a bipartisan way to support legislation that prioritizes investments in local communities,” said Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Empire State Voices. “Unfortunately, too many Republicans continue to fight efforts to invest in working-class areas and create well-paying union jobs. While he’s been quick to take credit now that money is flowing into his district thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act, Rep. Williams was more than happy to attack the bill from the campaign trail. New Yorkers need representatives who will fight to invest in their communities, not just show up at the ribbon cuttings to take credit once all the hard work has been done.”
To learn more about the campaign, please reach out at press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
