Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas, the chairwoman, for all of her work on this bill.

I rise in support of H.R. 4346, the CHIPS and Science Act, that will lower costs for consumers, create good-paying American jobs, and end our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers of critical goods.

The American people may not know it, but semiconductors are integral to their everyday experiences. They are the microchips that are used in automobiles, consumer electronics, and washing machines. Over the past 30 years, America's share of semiconductor production has plummeted, jeopardizing our national security and economic welfare.

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of our semiconductor supply chains. As a result, automakers, medical supply companies, and manufacturers of heavy machinery faced severe disruptions, which drove up prices.

The CHIPS and Science Act appropriates over $52 billion to ensure more semiconductors are produced right here in the United States, ending our reliance on other countries and lowering costs for consumers.

But our competitiveness faces challenges elsewhere. Domestic vendors of communications network equipment have dwindled over the past several years, while the proliferation of networks using Huawei, a Chinese Communist company, have grown. Just this week, there were reports about how Huawei strategically deployed their equipment in U.S. networks to maximize their espionage capabilities.

This legislation also invests $1.5 billion in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund for the deployment and promotion of Open Radio Access networks, or Open RAN networks. This deals with 5G technology. This investment will help bring more diversity and innovation to wireless supply chains while also countering the spread of harmful network equipment, like Huawei, here and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a win-win for our global competitiveness, economy, and consumers. I urge all of my colleagues to support it today.

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