Microchips bill driven by Sens. Sinema, Kelly of Arizona earns praise from business leader

PHOENIX – Bipartisan legislation negotiated by Democratic U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly of Arizona became law Tuesday, a move commended by one of the state’s top business executives.

President Joe Biden signed the $280 billion CHIPS act that is designed to boost domestic high-tech manufacturing and lessen dependence on overseas semiconductor supply chains. The bill sets aside $52 billion for the computer-chip sector.

“This CHIPs act will help us on-shore that supply chain and a lot of that is coming right here to Arizona. So this is helpful to our local economy … it’s good for the whole country,” Danny Seiden, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.

“These are the type of bills Congress should be devoting its energy to,” he said.

The bill shaped by Kelly has been more than a year in the making, but finally cleared both chambers of Congress late last month with significant bipartisan margins.

Kelly said in a tweet after the signing the Arizona economy will benefit from thousands of high-paying jobs.

“Today is a win for Arizonans and our national security and a big loss for China,” he said in a press release.

The Senate passed the Chips and Science Act 64-33, with 17 GOP senators supporting it, while the House quickly followed suit with a 243-187 vote that included 24 House Republicans in favor.

Sinema, whose vote was seen as pivotal, said in a press release, “I’m proud of the lasting results our law delivers for Arizonans.”

The Valley has become a microchip hub in recent years.

Semiconductor manufacturing giant TSMC, which supplies chips to Apple, among others, is building a factory in north Phoenix; Intel is expanding its microchip production in Chandler in a pair of multibillion-dollar projects.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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