By Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) joined the House in passing historic bipartisan legislation to invest in U.S. economic competitiveness by strengthening the nation’s scientific enterprise and supply chains. The bill has already passed the Senate.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act will support domestic semiconductor manufacturing, accelerate research and development, create good-paying jobs, lower costs for consumers, and boost workforce education and training. It contains Bonamici’s legislation to address the effects of the climate crisis on the ocean and promote STEAM education.
Bonamici spoke in favor of the legislation on the House floor. Video can be viewed here.
“The pandemic has underscored how important our domestic semiconductor supply chain is to transportation, the energy sector, national security, and scientific advancement,” Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici said on the House floor. “With this bill, we’ll make a vital investment in domestic manufacturing and in workers in Oregon and across the country.”
“The CHIPS and Science Act will grow U.S. leadership, strengthen our scientific enterprise, bolster research and development, grow our domestic semiconductor manufacturing base, and onshore critical supply chains. Importantly, it will also support workers and create many quality jobs in Oregon and across the country.”
Included in the CHIPS and Science Act is Bonamici’s bipartisan Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act and Building STEAM Education Act. It also includes a provision to advance regional clean energy innovation similar to Bonamici’s Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act.
The Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act will:
- Protect ocean health and provide resources to coastal communities to mitigate the effects of ocean acidification,
- Strengthen investments in research and monitoring, and
- Increase our understanding of the socioeconomic consequences of inaction.
The Building STEAM Education Act will:
- Promote the integration of arts and design in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum to promote creativity and innovation,
- Encourage partnerships between higher education and elementary and secondary institutions to develop STEAM curriculum, and
- Open up grants for informal, out-of-school STEAM programs.
The provisions similar to the Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act will:
- Improve American competitiveness in clean energy technology research and development,
- Foster regional collaboration to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, and
- Promote economic and workforce development in diverse geographic areas of the country as regions transition to clean energy.
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