House passes bill to boost US computer chip production

WASHINGTON — Democrats on Friday muscled legislation through the House that they say positions the United States to better compete with China economically and on the global stage by strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry and shoring up strained supply chains. President Joe Biden urged lawmakers to reach a deal quickly, saying, “America can’t afford to wait.” The nearly 3,000-page bill, not counting scores of amendments added this week, includes massive investments designed to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. She said the most “urgent need” in the bill is the $52 billion for domestic chip production because of the global chip shortage’s effect on the economy, including the automotive sector, and the national security implications of having so many semiconductors made overseas. “We’ll send House Republicans a much better option to vote on in the next couple of months,” said Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who worked with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate’s version of the legislation. “Democrats in the Senate and House know we have much more work to do to bridge our two proposals together and move this bill to the president’s desk, and I believe we will,” Schumer said.