LEROY, N.Y. — From the Bob Johnson Chevrolet car dealership in LeRoy, Genesee County to Baxter International, which makes medical infusion pumps in Medina, Orleans County, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was out and about Thursday touting his Chips and Science Act recently signed by President Joe Biden. The legislative package will seek to ramp up U.S. computer chip production which has in turn stalled production of new cars and other products consumers count on.
Schumer told reporters "It provides over $50 billion in federal incentives to have the chips made here. We say, not only do they have to make the chips here but they can't make any more of them in China and that is very, very good for America. I wrote this legislation with upstate in mind. Cause there is no place in America that stands better to benefit from making chips here in America than upstate New York. We have more shovel ready sites including the STAMP facility right here in Genesee County than any place in the country."
The problem is over 70% of those chips are currently made in the potential regional hot spot of China and Taiwan.
So there is this push to get U.S. chip producers up and running.
Most of those chip manufacturing plants here in the US are in the southwestern states. There are some that are located near Albany, but Schumer says once again he'll try to use his clout to make sure that one is located in the planned STAMP manufacturing plant north of Batavia.
Schumer says representatives of some chip manufacturing firms have already visited that Genesee County location but he said he could not disclose which firms were involved.
2 on Your Side asked, "Is there anything else in there - and I know you're gonna fight for it you say - but to make New York State more competitive against those other plants because again they've all headed down there to the Southwest."
Schumer replied, "Well like Micron announced $40 billion. I think new plants will locate here. We compared the cost, and I was just in Albany announcing with the governor - New York is getting - providing a green job - green chips proposal and we're gonna have $10 billion to lure the plants here. Plus, they need to get the grants, it's $52 billion and the Department of Commerce determines who gets it. Guess who's gonna be calling the Commerce Department on a regular basis, the majority leader who wrote this bill."
Schumer claims New York's universities, clean water and abundant affordable power will also be drawing cards for the chip manufacturers.