Team,

If you haven’t already heard, let me be the first to share some great news with you: the CHIPS Act just passed, and with the President’s signature this week, it will finally be over the finish line. This bill, which passed on a bipartisan basis (with votes from two Republican members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, Rep. Fred Upton and Rep. Peter Meijer), will provide incentives for companies to manufacture the microchips that power everything – from our cars, to our cell phones, to our dishwashers –  right here in the U.S. 

I’m happy to say that the FABS Act, a bill I introduced, is in the final version of this package and will offer tax credits for businesses that build these plants in places like Michigan. The CHIPS Act also builds in strong safeguards against corporate greed to make sure semiconductor companies live up to their commitments – things like prevailing wage requirements, and provisions that ensure American firms can’t use CHIPS Act subsidies to invest overseas.. 

All in all, this means new plants, thousands of new jobs throughout the midwest, and lower prices for consumers on everyday goods.

The global shortage of microchips has dominated my work over the past two years. During that time, auto plants across the country and in my district have closed on and off because they haven’t been able to get their hands on a 14-cent microchip. It’s something I hear about every time I’m home – at my events people will literally break out into chants of “CHIPS! CHIPS! CHIPS!” whenever the topic pops up.  

And not only is this a win for Michigan, but it will also strengthen our national security by ensuring that we’re no longer completely reliant on foreign powers for the microchips found in our military equipment. I got a first-hand look at just how dangerous it is to be so reliant on foreign entities for this type of equipment last year, when I led a bipartisan task force to examine our defense supply chains. Bringing this critical manufacturing back to the U.S. means we won’t be held hostage in the event of a conflict with a country like China. 

This is an important issue in Michigan, and you can’t run for Congress without being firm in your beliefs on the issues that matter most to the people you want to represent. That’s why yesterday, I called on my opponent to state publicly whether he would have supported this legislation or not.

We're at a point in American history where we need to make a decision: Are we going to invest in our ability to make chips at home, or are we going to allow ourselves to grow more and more dependent on Asia? I’ve made it clear where I come down on that. It’s time for my opponent to do the same.