U.S. Senate moves forward on bill to boost semiconductor production; could bring more jobs to Arizona

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - U.S. Senators advanced a bill to boost semiconductor production by offering various incentives for manufacturers by offering more than $50 billion dollars.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is one of the lead negotiators of the deal. In the Valley, producers such as Intel have already been creating semiconductors. So, how would this bill impact the Valley? Mesa mayor John Giles dropped by Good Morning Arizona today to talk with anchor Olivia Fierro about it.

“It’s a very big story for Arizona,” Mayor Giles said. “There’s a lot of jobs in Arizona that are directly tied to this Chips Act passing. It’s not just Phoenix and Chandler, communities like Mesa and really, throughout the Valley and throughout the state are going to feel the impact of the Chips Act and the investment that’s gonna occur in Arizona.” The legislation offers $52 billion in grants and other incentives for the semiconductor industry in addition to a 25% tax credit for those companies that build chip plants.

The mayor said that because society is using more “smart” technology than ever before, the production of semiconductors is more crucial than ever. “We’ve become more and more dependent on Asia, Tawain, the Republic of China. That’s where things are made now,” the mayor said. “When there’s a disruption in that for political reasons or health reasons, it really throws a major monkey wrench into our economy and into our lives. We need to have more chips manufactured here in the United States, and fortunately, a lot of that is going to happen in Arizona.”

The Senate needed 60 votes to advance the bill and the vote was 64-32. Giles also praised Senator Kelly’s sponsorship of the CHIPS for America Act and his leadership moving forward with the act. The House of Representatives is also expected to take up the package this week.

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