Rep. Susie Lee Leads Bicameral Letter to Biden Administration Calling for Greater Focus on Semiconductors for Defense Manufacturing

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), along with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Reps. Steven Horsford (D-NV), Dina Titus (D-NV), Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the Administration to do more to stabilize the supply of microelectronics used for defense manufacturing. They called on the Administration to use its authority to ensure the resilience of the American industrial base, as well as key national security programs, while the United States addresses today's supply chain crisis. The letter comes as the Congress is negotiating the House-passed COMPETES Act, which would bolster American manufacturing, particularly semiconductor manufacturing.

"While the impact of the chip shortage in the U.S. automotive and consumer electronics markets has been well documented and addressed by your administration, more focus should be afforded to the impact on the people and manufacturers who build end-use products, such as weapon systems, required by our military services," wrote the Members of Congress. "This workforce is heavily represented in our states and congressional districts, all across the country."

"The Defense Department has made strides by establishing a Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force to address systemic barriers," continued the Members. "However, we urge your administration to take a far more urgent and aggressive approach to resolving the CNC [computer numerically controlled] industry crisis brought on by the shortfall in microelectronics supplied to U.S. manufacturers. One of these critical manufacturers is Haas Automation, which employs 1,600 personnel at its facility in Oxnard, California and is currently building an even larger 2.5 million square foot state-of-the-art factory in Henderson, Nevada."

You can read the full letter here.

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