[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3930-H3932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SECURING SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAINS ACT OF 2023
Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 752) to require SelectUSA to coordinate with State-level
economic development organizations to increase foreign direct
investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 752
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Semiconductor
Supply Chains Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. SELECTUSA DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``SelectUSA'' means the SelectUSA
program of the Department of Commerce established by
Executive Order 13577 (76 Fed. Reg. 35,715).
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Semiconductors underpin the United States and global
economies, including manufacturing sectors. Semiconductors
are also essential to the national security of the United
States.
(2) A shortage of semiconductors, brought about by the
COVID-19 pandemic and other complex factors impacting the
overall supply chain, has threatened the economic recovery of
the United States and industries that employ millions of
United States citizens.
(3) Addressing current challenges and building resilience
against future risks requires ensuring a secure and stable
supply chain for semiconductors that will support the
economic and national security needs of the United States and
its allies.
(4) The supply chain for semiconductors is complex and
global. While the United States plays a leading role in
certain segments of the semiconductor industry, securing the
supply chain requires onshoring, reshoring, or diversifying
vulnerable segments, such as for--
(A) fabrication;
(B) advanced packaging; and
(C) materials and equipment used to manufacture
semiconductor products.
(5) The Federal Government can leverage foreign direct
investment and private dollars to grow the domestic
manufacturing and production capacity of the United States
for vulnerable segments of the semiconductor supply chain.
(6) The SelectUSA program of the Department of Commerce, in
coordination with other Federal agencies and State-level
economic development organizations, is positioned to boost
foreign direct investment in domestic manufacturing and to
help secure the semiconductor supply chain of the United
States.
SEC. 4. COORDINATION WITH STATE-LEVEL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ORGANIZATIONS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Executive Director of SelectUSA shall solicit
comments from State-level economic development
organizations--
(1) to review--
(A) what efforts the Federal Government can take to support
increased foreign direct investment in any segment of
semiconductor-related production;
(B) what barriers to such investment may exist and how to
amplify State efforts to attract such investment;
(C) public opportunities those organizations have
identified to attract foreign direct investment to help
increase investment described in subparagraph (A);
(D) resource gaps or other challenges that prevent those
organizations from increasing such investment; and
(2) to develop recommendations for--
(A) how SelectUSA can increase such investment
independently or through partnership with those
organizations; and
(B) working with countries that are allies or partners of
the United States to ensure
[[Page H3931]]
that foreign adversaries (as defined in section 8(c)(2) of
the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
(47 U.S.C. 1607(c)(2))) do not benefit from United States
efforts to increase such investment.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON INCREASING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN
SEMICONDUCTOR-RELATED MANUFACTURING AND
PRODUCTION.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Executive Director of SelectUSA, in
coordination with the Federal Interagency Investment Working
Group established by Executive Order 13577 (76 Fed. Reg.
35,715; relating to establishment of the SelectUSA
Initiative), shall submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a
report that includes--
(1) a review of the comments SelectUSA received from State-
level economic development organizations under section 4;
(2) a description of activities SelectUSA is engaged in to
increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related
manufacturing and production; and
(3) an assessment of strategies SelectUSA may implement to
achieve an increase in such investment and to help secure the
United States supply chain for semiconductors, including by--
(A) working with other relevant Federal agencies; and
(B) working with State-level economic development
organizations and implementing any strategies or
recommendations SelectUSA received from those organizations.
SEC. 6. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for
the purpose of carrying out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Bucshon) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.
General Leave
Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 752, the Securing
Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2023, sponsored by Ms. Eshoo of
California and Mr. Pence of Indiana.
I am pleased that we can look at ways to attract investment into our
country as opposed to shifting more demands onto our taxpayers.
This legislation requires SelectUSA to find ways that we can bolster
foreign direct investment in U.S. semiconductor supply chains.
Semiconductor technology powers much of our modern economy, including
payment cards, automobiles, cell phones, and the list goes on.
While we have led in chip design over the years, we have seen chip
manufacturing and its surrounding supply chains shift overseas.
Among the many lessons we learned from COVID-19 and the pandemic is
that the United States must lead in both the design and production of
semiconductor chips to ensure we do not fall behind China.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 752, the Securing
Semiconductor Supply Chains Act.
Semiconductors are necessary for the production of everything from
consumer electronics to automobiles to our national defense weapons
systems.
The United States was once a global powerhouse in semiconductor
fabrication, but over the years, it has become dangerously reliant on
other countries for the production of these chips, which are vital to
both our national economic and security interests.
That is why I was proud to lead the effort last Congress when
Democrats were in the majority here in the House to pass and enact the
CHIPS and Science Act. This law was transformational. It will
strengthen our manufacturing base to grow our economy for the future,
help create good-paying jobs for American workers, unleash more
innovation, and lower costs for consumers. It does this by investing
more than $52 billion into domestic semiconductor research,
development, and production so that more of these semiconductors are
built here in the United States by American workers.
When you travel to the industrial heartland, spend time in our
industrial communities, and talk to hardworking, middle-class Americans
whose manufacturing jobs have been sent offshore, it is clear that we
still have to do more. H.R. 752 will provide valuable information about
how we can increase foreign direct investment to further advance our
efforts to strengthen the semiconductor supply chains, create more
jobs, and continue to revitalize American manufacturing.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Representatives Eshoo and Pence for their
bipartisan leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), one of the primary sponsors of the
bill.
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Bucshon), the chairman and my esteemed friend, for yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting H.R. 752, the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act,
which I co-led with Congresswoman Eshoo, who I thank for her
leadership.
This bipartisan bill seeks to uncover barriers to expanding foreign
direct investment into domestic manufacturing for semiconductor chips.
Over the past few years, Hoosiers in southern Indiana felt the
ripples in our economy caused by the shortages of semiconductor chips.
Auto manufacturers like Honda in Greensburg and Cummins engine company
in Columbus, Indiana, told me firsthand the potential impacts on day-
to-day operations because of this shortage.
We learned the hard way that our economy cannot rely solely on
adversarial nations like China to secure chips for our economy.
My greatest priority in Congress has been fighting for policies that
have the opportunity to create good-paying jobs for our Hoosiers and
for all Americans, and I urge support for this bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Eshoo), the Democratic sponsor of this bill and the
ranking member of our Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on
Health.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time
to me, and I thank him for support of my bill, the Securing
Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2023.
My congressional district was named for the materials that
semiconductors are made of--Silicon Valley.
Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, the United States manufactured nearly 40
percent of all semiconductors. Today, we produce only 12 percent. This
lack of domestic semiconductor manufacturing poses a significant risk
to our economy and national security.
The semiconductor supply chain is fragile, and it can be disrupted
easily, with serious consequences to our daily lives.
{time} 1815
To bolster domestic semiconductor production and reduce reliance on
foreign suppliers, my legislation directs the Department of Commerce's
SelectUSA program to develop strategies to attract investment in U.S.
semiconductor manufacturers and supply chains.
It will leverage the considerable downpayment Congress made in the
CHIPS and Science Act and expand opportunities for the private sector
to invest in American manufacturing.
This bipartisan, bicameral legislation, along with the investments
made in the CHIPS and Science Act, will bring the U.S. back to being
number one in the world in semiconductor manufacturing and maintain
leadership in technological innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Pence for his partnership on this
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it. This is a very
good bill, and it is going to build on what we need to bring this
manufacturing back to the United States and make us number one in the
world.
Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
[[Page H3932]]
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to close.
I urge support for this bipartisan bill, which continues our efforts
to deal with chips, basically a follow-up on the CHIPS and Science Act,
which was so important in bringing back American manufacturing and
American innovation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I also urge support for H.R. 752, the
Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2023, as amended, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller-Meeks). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 752, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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