Rep. Stansbury Celebrates STEM Jobs for New Mexico as President Biden Signs the CHIPS Act into Law
The legislation includes Rep. Stansbury’s first bill and will invest in American semiconductor manufacturers like Intel in New Mexico
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) issued the following statement celebrating President Biden’s signature of the CHIPS and Science Act into law:
“I am so proud that today, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law. This package includes the Partnerships for Energy and Security Act–the first piece of legislation that I introduced in Congress. 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. This bill will boost New Mexico’s STEM economy and leverage the billions of dollars that the labs contribute to our state’s economy. And, as a former STEM educator, I’m proud this legislation will help students of all backgrounds succeed in STEM careers at our Labs.
“The wider CHIPS and Science Act is a much-needed boost to the people and ideas that keep America’s science and technology strong. By investing billions in domestic manufacturing, this bill will lower costs for New Mexico’s families buying dishwashers to cars to everything in between while creating good jobs. This legislation also funds critical infrastructure upgrades to our National Labs in New Mexico to ensure that our Labs can continue driving innovation across the United States. Now that this important package has become law, we are ready for the hard work of maximizing the benefits this legislation will bring to all New Mexicans.”
The CHIPS and Science Act invests $52 billion to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, with the remaining $280 billion targeted to federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to boost public-private partnerships that turbocharge American science and technology innovation. The legislation also includes $800 million to upgrade critical infrastructure at National Laboratories, including Sandia and Los Alamos.
Last year, Rep. Stansbury introduced her bipartisan Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act to stimulate innovation and local economic development in New Mexico. Earlier this month, Rep. Stansbury joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.-03) in urging the Biden administration to choose New Mexico as a STEM and semiconductor hub for the National Semiconductor Technology Centers (NSTC) and the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) created in the CHIPS and Science Act.