Harris defends CHIPS Act after Johnson suggests GOP would repeal it

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday criticized Home Speaker Mike Johnson for suggesting that Republicans might attempt to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act in the event that they win Congress, a comment he has since tried to stroll again.

“I additionally wish to converse to the feedback which have been just lately made by the speaker of the Home,” Harris mentioned in Milwaukee to a bunch of reporters. “It’s simply additional proof of every thing that I’ve really been speaking about for months now, about [former President Donald] Trump’s intention to implement Venture 2025.”

“We have talked repeatedly about their intention to do away with the Inexpensive Care Act. Now to do away with the CHIPS Act,” she added.

Speaker Johnson, R-La., made the remark at a Friday marketing campaign occasion in New York for Home Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., a susceptible GOP candidate in one of the crucial intently watched Home races of this election cycle.

“I count on that we most likely will, however we have not developed that a part of the agenda but,” Johnson mentioned in response to a reporter asking whether or not the GOP would attempt to repeal the regulation.

The CHIPS Act handed Congress with bipartisan assist in 2022. The regulation has unlocked practically $53 billion of funding to construct up home manufacturing of semiconductors, that are essential for the expansion of strategic industries similar to synthetic intelligence. The federal authorities has introduced greater than $30 billion of investments beneath the regulation as of August.

Harris has turned manufacturing funding into one of many central planks of her financial platform.

“It’s my plan and intention to proceed to spend money on American manufacturing, the work being completed by American employees upholding and lifting up good union jobs,” Harris mentioned in Milwaukee. “That’s the approach we’re going to win the competitors with China for the twenty first century.”

Johnson’s comment adopted the lead of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who attacked the CHIPS Act throughout an Oct. 25 interview with Joe Rogan.

Trump accused Taiwan of stealing “our chip enterprise” within the interview, calling for tariffs on imported semiconductors.

“That chip deal is so dangerous,” Trump mentioned. “We put up billions of {dollars} for wealthy firms to come back in and borrow the cash and construct chip firms right here, they usually’re not going to provide us the great firms anyway.”

Rep. Williams’ congressional district has welcomed the potential financial enhance of a coming Micron semiconductor manufacturing plant, sponsored by the CHIPS Act.

“The CHIPS Act is vastly impactful right here,” Williams mentioned after Johnson’s remark, in a refined clean-up effort. The New York lawmaker additionally issued a press release on Friday saying that Johnson “apologized profusely” for the blunder and mentioned “he misheard the query.”

Democrats must internet simply 4 extra Home seats to grab the gavel from Republicans within the subsequent Congress. Polling to this point reveals the Home race at basically coin-flip standing.

Johnson has made makes an attempt at additional harm management since his Friday remark, stating after the marketing campaign occasion that the CHIPS Act shouldn’t be on the GOP agenda to repeal.

Nonetheless, days away from the Nov. 5 election, Democrats are pouncing on the gaffe.

“The Republican Speaker of the Home simply informed the tens of 1000’s of development employees constructing New York and America’s future they wish to ship them pink slips ASAP,” Sen. Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a Friday put up on the X platform.