***VIDEO OF THE ROUNDTABLE HERE***
Senator Murray: “We are showing competitors like China how serious we are about investing in America and investing in our future… But we have to keep it up, and it’s important we are thinking carefully about what kind of investments we’ll need, across government, to ensure that the United States stays ahead.”
(Seattle, WA) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted a roundtable at Nucor Steel to hear from regional industry leaders about what kind of investments will be key to strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century. Senator Murray spoke about her commitment to ensuring that Congress delivers the resources needed to bolster American competitiveness globally.
In discussing the importance of recently enacted legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act—which are already in motion to strengthen global competitiveness—the roundtable participants all underscored the importance of successful implementation of the new laws and of continued federal investments in sectors like manufacturing, infrastructure, and clean energy. They also made clear that renewed investments in areas like workforce development and education are key to strengthening America’s competitive edge. As the new Senate Appropriations Chair, Senator Murray is looking at what kind of investments, across government, are necessary to ensure the United States stays ahead of competitors like China in the years ahead.
“Last Congress, we were able to pass some critical bills like the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and more,” said Senator Murray. “These new laws make historic investments in domestic manufacturing, workforce development, clean energy, and more—and they’re all critical components to making sure the US is and remains competitive on the global stage.”
“We are showing competitors like China how serious we are about investing in America and investing in our future,” continued Senator Murray. “But we have to keep it up, and it’s important we are thinking carefully about what kind of investments we’ll need, across government, to ensure that the United States stays ahead—and that’s going to be top of mind for me as I work with my colleagues to write the nation’s spending bills in the Senate.”
“Washington state has an enormous opportunity to support our national goals to revitalize the technology and manufacturing sectors and set a course for the next forty years of economic prosperity, enhancing our position as a global leader in these cutting edge sectors,” said Chris Green, Assistant Director at the Washington State Department of Commerce. “Thanks to Senator Murray’s leadership in getting these historic programs funded we are in a great position to compete for these funds and bring high wage jobs to our state.”
“We appreciate Senator Murray taking time to meet with Washington State business leaders at Nucor Steel Seattle to discuss how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act will support a strong manufacturing sector and strengthen domestic supply chains for critical materials we need to grow the economy,” said Matt Lyons, Vice President and General Manager of the Nucor Seattle Mill Region. “As the largest steel producer in the United States, Nucor stands ready to supply sustainable, American-made steel to the infrastructure and clean energy projects funded through these important new laws.”
“We are thankful to Senator Murray, our federal delegation, and the Biden Administration for their historic, generational investments in competitiveness. The passage of hallmark legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act are enabling the ports to compete globally while increasing sustainability, equity, and quality of life for our region’s residents,” said Sam Cho, Port of Seattle Commission President and The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair.
“We appreciate the federal government, under Senator Murray’s leadership, for supporting grant awards that enable ports to continue investing in improvements that increase operational efficiency and further support trade and jobs that drive our regional economy. The grants, alongside key legislation that supports infrastructure investment and port sustainability initiatives, are helping us build more modern, competitive facilities,” said Deanna Keller, Port of Tacoma Commission President and The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair.
“The historic investments made in the CHIPS and Science Act will help ensure the future of US semiconductor manufacturing is bright, highly competitive and sustainable. Our domestic semiconductor ecosystem is strengthened by embracing existing technology, developing new leading-edge technology, and expanding training opportunities for our workforce to be the most-productive in the world,” said Jose Garcia, Managing Director at Analog Devices.During the roundtable, Senator Murray was joined by Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho; Chris Green, Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness at the Washington State Department of Commerce; Matthew Lyons, Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Seattle; Jose Garcia, Managing Director at Analog Devices; and Mujtaba Hamid, General Manager for Silicon, Modeling, & Simulation at Microsoft.
Last July, Senator Murray helped to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act which makes historic investments into American manufacturing – especially in Washington state, which ranks among the top ten states in terms of its semiconductor manufacturing workforce. The bill will allow small and medium sized microchip manufacturers to expand and hire more workers, get products on the shelves faster, and lower costs on consumer electronics. When it comes to national security, the CHIPS and Science Act will decrease our reliance on foreign supply chains and make American manufacturing more competitive on the world stage.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Senator Murray helped pass delivers the largest ever federal investments in our roads, public transit, bridges, and clean drinking water, as well as substantial investments in addressing the climate crisis, expanding internet access, creating a new 21st century electric grid, and more.
The Inflation Reduction Act will invest $369 billion over the next decade into clean energy, clean air travel, energy storage, and more—the largest climate investment in United States history. The Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits and grants will help spur a historic, first-of-its-kind economy-wide transition to clean energy—from our utilities to manufacturing industry. The law puts the U.S. on a path to cutting emissions by nearly 40% by 2030, lowers energy costs at home and at the pump, creates new, good-paying green economy jobs, invests in critical renewable energy sources, and includes incentives for electric vehicles.
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