U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently joined a bipartisan contingent of his colleagues to urge U.S. Senate appropriators to fully fund existing law that aims to bolster national security and America’s global economic competitiveness.
The 15 senators, led by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), requested full funding for the enacted bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 law in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2023, S. 4664.
Fully funded, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 will foster an inclusive and highly-skilled 21st-century workforce, expand scientific research and development across the nation, and unleash American innovation in emerging technologies, wrote Sen. Cassidy and his colleagues in a Nov. 21 letter sent to Senate appropriators.
“During a period of increased global competition, including with technologically capable nations like China and Russia, the United States must increase investment in the science and technology innovation that has long underpinned our economic and security leadership,” according to their letter.
The lawmakers noted that the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 — which President Joe Biden signed into law in August — marks a significant bipartisan commitment to domestic manufacturing, regional innovation, and strong supply chains. They also pointed out that the lack of funding under previous appropriations bills for these efforts has prohibited federal agencies from fully delivering on their potential.
“Instead of the rapid growth in technological strength Congress envisioned, the United States has suffered insufficient growth in the skilled workforce, increased supply chain vulnerabilities, and rising competition from overseas,” wrote the senators.
The U.S. must remain “the global gold standard” for scientific discovery, technological innovation, and workforce development as international competition for technological superiority intensifies, they wrote.
“The CHIPS and Science Act recognizes this need and committed the nation to broad-based and geographically diverse investments in American leadership, including in manufacturing,” wrote Sen. Cassidy and his colleagues. “Therefore, we urge you to fully fund the CHIPS & Science Act in the FY2023 Appropriations Bill for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.”