Seeking to counter China on chips, Congress gets stuck fighting itself
Everything Americans use with an on-off button, from dishwashers to iPhones to Teslas, likely includes a key component: computer chips.
And the problem is, America’s supply is running short. The scarcity, fueled by pandemic-related supply disruptions, has driven up prices and spurred inflation. As new cars became more expensive to make, for example, used-car prices spiked nearly 40% in the first year and a half of the pandemic.
Such economic troubles are at the top of voters’ concerns, according to polls. And the fact that the most sophisticated chips, including those needed for military equipment, are mainly made in Asia raises national security concerns.
Lawmakers in Congress have a proposal to address the problem by investing in facilities that would bring more chip manufacturing back to America. It’s called the CHIPS Act, and it passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support in
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