WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after his amendment to restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil was adopted by a 96-4 vote and subsequently passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act:
“If the COVID-19 virus has taught us anything, it’s given us a clear picture of how vulnerable our unsecured supply chains are, and one of the biggest of these vulnerabilities is a lack of domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and global competitiveness, so I’m grateful to my colleagues for supporting this legislation as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.”
Background:
Sen. Cornyn’s legislation would:
- Direct the Secretary of Commerce to create a grant program for constructing, expanding, or modernizing commercial semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, packaging, and advanced R&D facilities in the U. S.
- Direct the Secretary of Defense to create a partnership program with the private sector to encourage the development of advanced, measurably secure microelectronics for use by the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, critical infrastructure, and other national-security applications.
- Require the Secretary of Commerce to commence a review within 120 days assessing the state of the U.S. semiconductor industrial base.
- Establish a Multilateral Microelectronics Security Fund, with which the U.S., its allies and partners will work to reach agreements promoting consistency in their policies related to microelectronics, greater transparency including supply chains, and greater alignment in export control and foreign direct investment policies.
- Direct the president to establish a subcommittee on semiconductor technology and innovation within the National Science and Technology Council.
- Direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a national semiconductor technology center to conduct research, fund semiconductor startups and a Manufacturing USA Institute, and a National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and encourage the Secretary of Labor to work with the private sector on workforce training and apprenticeships in semiconductor manufacturing.