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Innovation & Technology

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi celebrates the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act alongside Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Exploratorium CEO Lindsay Bierman, UCSF Vice Chancellor Dr. Keith Yamamoto, Intel Labs Director of University Research Collaboration Gabriela Cruz Thompson and UC Berkeley Dean of Engineering Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu. Pelosi emphasized that America's future progress and global competitiveness demand major financial and intellectual investments in innovation.

Six decades ago, President Kennedy launched an ambitious mission to safely land an astronaut on the moon, declaring: "the vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we in this nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first." As America fulfilled his bold vision, we proved the envy of the world: fueling once-unthinkable scientific progress and powering unprecedented economic prosperity.

Yet, over the last few decades, other nations have followed our blueprint – threatening America's preeminence in research and innovation. Today, we are at a critical juncture in our nation's history as we must spark a renewed spirit of action and opportunity.

That is why last Congress Democrats passed – and President Biden signed into law – the CHIPS and Science Act: delivering historic investments to lower costs for families here at home, create jobs reinvigorating American manufacturing and innovation, and reigniting American competitiveness on the world stage.

The CHIPS and Science Act will help the United States regain its status as a global leader in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips – investing $52 billion to bolster our nation's production of these essential components. This funding will reinvigorate American manufacturing and create nearly 100,000 good-paying, union jobs. Importantly, this package also includes numerous victories to power decades of discovery in science and technology here in our nation, including:

  • Strengthening cutting-edge research and development through our federal science agencies
  • Bringing regional technology hubs to communities across the country
  • Building a diverse, inclusive STEM workforce
  • Widening access to American-made 5G technology
  • Launching a $1 billion RECOMPETES grant program for persistently distressed communities

These investments are imperative for our economic and national security: reducing our dependence on foreign manufacturing, strengthening our supply chains and advancing clean and independent energy.

It has been my honor to represent San Francisco, the Innovation Capital of the World and a blueprint for our work at the national level. Our City has set a global standard for excellence – fueling our nation's entrepreneurial spirit and bolstering the American Dream. The story of San Francisco is a testament to a basic truth: science is the backbone of our progress as a people and our prosperity as a nation. America's future progress and competitiveness demand that we initiate a sustained financial and intellectual investment in innovation.

With the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have taken bold action to strengthen families' financial future, boost America's research advantage and safeguard our economic and national security for generations to come. We remain committed to further lowering costs and ensuring that the 21st Century will be the American Century – forged by the ingenuity and hard work of our innovators, workers and businesses.