In Boost to N.M.’s STEM Economy, Rep. Stansbury’s First Bill Will Become Law

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, passed the first piece of legislation that she introduced in Congress with the House passage of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The CHIPS Act is designed to advance the nation’s global competitiveness, boost semiconductor manufacturing in New Mexico, and lower costs for working families. Rep. Stansbury secured her bill, the Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act, in the broader CHIPS Act. The package now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.  

U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) championed the bill in the Senate and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (N.M.) was named to the wider conference committee that negotiated provisions of the CHIPS and Science Act. 

“I am so proud to announce that my first-ever piece of legislation that I introduced in Congress is on its way to becoming law to boost New Mexico’s STEM economy. Our state is the proud home of two of our nation’s leading research laboratories where scientists push the envelope of innovation in science and technology every day,” said Rep. Stansbury. “This is our moment to leverage the billions of dollars that the labs contribute to our state’s economy, help students of all backgrounds succeed in STEM careers harness next-generation science and technologies for wider social and commercial uses. I’m so proud that this bill will help grow our STEM economy and tackle our biggest challenges in science, innovation, and clean energy economy of the future.” 

The Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act will create a nonprofit foundation for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that channels research and innovation to higher education institutions and private sector partners in alignment with DOE’s mission. The foundation’s mission would also focus on bringing energy innovations to markets serving rural and underserved communities and facilitate the commercialization of technologies like next-generation materials and high-efficiency batteries.  

The nonprofit DOE foundation created by Rep. Stansbury’s bill will prioritize partnerships with institutions like Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions.  

The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act includes key investments in the country’s STEM workforce and in American manufacturing of semiconductor chips, an initiative which is expected to create nearly 100,000 new jobs nationwide, lower our dependence on foreign manufacturers, and lower costs for hard working families across New Mexico.  The package also strengthens our national security, supports our growing economy, and invests in numerous victories in science and technology for workers and families across the nation.  

The CHIPS and Science Act: 

• Lowers costs for American consumers – by making more critical semiconductor components in America, helping end the shortage of chips that have driven up the price of everything from cars to consumer goods.
• Creates 100,000 new good-paying jobs – creates strong, good-paying jobs building high-tech manufacturing facilities here in America.
• Ends our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers – bringing critical semiconductor manufacturing back to America instead of overseas where it can be threatened by our adversaries.
• Turbocharges American R&D – powering America’s preeminence in both basic research and next-generation technologies and ensuring that the technologies of the future are made here in America.
• Diversifies and expands the innovation workforce – broadening the pool of brainpower and talent so that we are embracing the full potential from all our communities, helping to diversify our STEM workforce and advancing regional technology hubs to ensure communities across the country can help in American research and development.

This legislation also includes strong guardrails to ensure that federal semiconductor investments go straight into New Mexico's economy instead of corporations or overseas.  The CHIPS and Science Act will: