Secretary Raimondo testifies on the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act

Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo testified Tuesday to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act. During the hearing, Raimondo spoke about the importance of the Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs and CHIPS manufacturing programs for national and economic security and emphasized the need for additional funding to make Congress’s vision for these programs successful. The focus of the hearing was the Department of Commerce’s implementation of incentives for semiconductor and related manufacturing, but a wide range of topics was covered. Committee members asked Secretary Raimondo to comment on skilled workforce, national security, reliance on other nations, and guardrails on funding, among other issues.

The Tech Hubs program, mentioned by over a half-dozen committee members, also received significant attention. Some questions, like those of committee members Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY), prompted Raimondo to mention the need to appropriate more money for the program. Raimondo stated, “The reality is, we just need more money for these Tech Hubs” and that “all of the ones that are designated are probably worthy for big grants… but we just don’t have enough money.”

Last summer, Congress authorized Tech Hubs as a $10 billion program but provided $500 million in a supplement to the FY 2023 appropriations bill. Neither chamber has yet acted on FY 2024 funding, but the appropriations committees in both chambers are proposing just $41 million each. SSTI’s Innovation Advocacy Council recommends that Congress provide an additional $2.5 billion in FY 2024—and has been joined by numerous organizations in this request.

The full committee hearing and Secretary Raimondo’s written testimony are available on the committee’s website.