Senate Considers Motions to Instruct Chip Bills Conference
The Senate was still voting Wednesday afternoon on 28 motions to instruct a conference committee charged with marrying elements of the House-passed America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (HR-4521) and Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and…
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Competition Act (S-1260), including two aimed at maintaining language aimed at strengthening U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. HR-4521 and S-1260 both include $52 billion in subsidies to encourage U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing (see 2201260062). The Senate approved by voice vote a motion from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to instruct conferees to "insist" a final measure bar federal funds from being "used for gain-of-function research conducted in China." Other motions up for votes later Wednesday included one from Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to insist the final bill "include incentives to support investments" in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, including "investments in the fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging" and R&D of chips. A motion from Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., aims for the bill to "strengthen" supply chain resilience and security, including provisions that "reinvigorate" U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. Language from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., seeks inclusion of a provision directing the White House Office of Management and Budget to "develop guidance for executive agencies requiring adequate security measures for any transfer, storage or use of digital yuan," China's currency, "on information technology."