Cole Statement on House Passage of CHIPS-Plus

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after voting for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4346, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, also known as "CHIPS-Plus."

"Although this is not a perfect bill and not the one I would have written, it is a step in the right direction toward keeping Communist China at bay and protecting our nation's economic and security interests," said Cole. "At a time when China is becoming increasingly aggressive and dangerously trying to command the world order, the CHIPS and Science Act importantly strengthens America's global competitiveness by investing in our nation's semiconductor industry and encouraging manufacturing of those critical pieces of technology domestically. We must secure our industries from foreign adversaries, and that is exactly what this legislation achieves.

"This bill also authorizes substantial funding for our nation's scientific research and development enterprise to ensure American leadership in key fields such as aerospace and energy. Moreover, it prioritizes the workforce of tomorrow by investing in STEM education and workforce development programs to train Americans for new jobs in these fields, particularly in rural communities. And it includes strong provisions that would prevent federally-funded researchers from participating in foreign talent recruitment programs and requires that NSF-funded institutions disclose any financial ties to foreign adversarial countries."

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