According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, there are 42 projects in Arizona funded by $100 billion in federal and private investments that are creating thousands of high-paying union jobs while expanding and revitalizing the science infrastructure of the United States.
Included in these projects are:
- $65 billion for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Phoenix.
- $32 billion for Intel in Chandler.
- $2 billion for Amkor in Peoria.
- $100 million for Sunlit Chemical in Phoenix. They just had a grand opening last week that Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego attended.
- $100 million for LCY Chemical in Casa Grande.
- $88 million for Fujifilm Electronic Materials in Mesa.
- Millions in Research and Development dollars for both Arizona State University and The University of Arizona. Dr. Gwyneth Williams Gordon, Assistant Research Professor at the Metals, Environmental and Terrestrial Analytical Laboratory (METAL) at Arizona State University (full disclosure: Dr. Gordon is my wife) commented on the CHIPS R and D investments, “METAL is grateful for the CHIPs act because it has supported infrastructure, equipment, researchers, and students to make new scientific discoveries to make engineering practices sustainable and keep our public universities accessible and innovative.”
These funds were all made possible by the Bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which Arizona Senator Mark Kelly helped write.
Donald Trump wants to cut funding for these vital science infrastructure programs.
According to reporting by Cronkite News and the New York Times, the 45th Occupant of the White House (Remember the one who never passed any infrastructure legislation at all in his time in office) condemned the bipartisan legislation, saying the United States Government is giving mob-style protection money to rich foreign companies. He also accused Taiwan of stealing the American Semiconductor Industry.
His already discredited solution. Put tariffs on these foreign companies to get them to cooperate with United States industries.
Like the Affordable Care Act., Mr. Trump is looking to dismantle programs like the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts because the Democratic Administration accomplished what he could not.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Senator Mark Kelly, and Representative (and former Phoenix Mayor) Greg Stanton all criticized the Trump threats to cut back CHIPS Act funding.
At an event last week in North Phoenix headlined by former President Bill Clinton, Mayor Gallego warned that Mr. Trump’s threats to cut the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts funding would cost Phoenix $65 billion from its investments in the alliance with Taiwan Semi Conductor “that’s creating high wage jobs and the future of our economy.”
Gallego also praised the Biden/Harris Administration for bringing back manufacturing jobs to the United States and told attendees that all of that was at risk with a Trump return to the White House, saying “We can’t afford to go backwards. We’ve made too much progress just for someone who cares only about himself to come and undo it. We deserve better. We deserve Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.“
During an event with Arizona Union Workers at Ironworker Apprenticeship Hall, Senator Mark Kelly, and Representative Greg Stanton also condemned Mr. Trump’s threats to undo these investments in America’s scientific infrastructure.
Senator Kelly remarked:
“I helped write the CHIPS and Science Act, I know firsthand the impact it’s having in our state. The CHIPS Act helped spark more than $100 billion dollars of semiconductor investments in Arizona and has created thousands of jobs. We’re seeing waves of new jobs each month. We’re seeing a rapidly growing, successful new industry. And we are witnessing an economic boom. But now, Donald Trump wants to undo all of our hard work. He wants to kill the CHIPS and Science Act. He will throw thousands of Arizonans out of work and kneecap our state’s economic future … But Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will expand upon Arizona’s CHIPS success. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz’s new way forward will build upon this progress, create more manufacturing jobs in our communities, and lower costs for working families.”
Representative Stanton offered:
“JD Vance and Trump [are] attacking the economic future of Phoenix and the entire state of Arizona. If they revoked the CHIPS and Science Act, and all the funding that comes with it, our currently booming semiconductor industry would be crippled. And so would all of the Arizona workers and families who currently rely on the semiconductor industry for their livelihoods. This is a real threat that could have extremely real consequences for Arizona families– and for anyone that cares about Arizona’s economy. In stark contrast, Vice President Harris is fighting for a new way forward that will bring down costs and increase economic security for all Arizonans. She’ll cut taxes for working- and middle-class families instead of billionaires. And she’ll continue to be a fierce advocate for the chips industry.”
Ironworkers Local 75 business manager Jason Sangster conveyed:
“The CHIPS Act is critical in helping workers get out of minimum wage jobs and into careers that offer great pay and benefits—which is having life-changing effects for them and their families. Which is why I am raising the alarm about Donald Trump’s plan to gut the CHIPS Act. By jeopardizing this law and all the funding that comes with it, Trump is directly threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of ironworkers and thousands of our hard-working brothers and sisters employed in Arizona because of this act.”
The number of apprenticeships at Ironworkers Local 75 has doubled since the passage of the CHIPS Act.
IBEW Local 640 Business Manager Dean Wine stated:
“Trump is fighting for his anti-worker Project 2025 agenda that will leave unions behind, give tax cuts to his billionaire donors and raise taxes on hard working families. And just last week he said he was against the CHIPS and Science Act, jeopardizing the tens of thousands of jobs we are expecting to add in this state and the billions of private investment that come with it. But we refuse to go back. Arizona workers are with Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz.”
During a question and answer session at the end of the event, Senator Kelly went after Republican Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance for not being concerned about Trump’s threats, saying:
“If there’s somebody who should really be concerned about this in the United States Senate is a Senator from Ohio. The running mate of Donald Trump should be concerned but he hasn’t figured out what to say about it yet because he realizes that he was hired to be Donald Trump’s running mate to just parrot what Donald Trump says. But it’s put him in a rather challenging spot because you know, Intel’s expansion in Ohio is also significant and will have a significant impact on the economy in the state of Ohio.”
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.