President Biden delivered remarks on Thursday in Syracuse, New York on the CHIPS Act and the economy.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 (Applause.)
00:02 >> The President: Hello, hello, hello.
00:04 (Applause.)
00:09 It's good to be back in Syracuse.
00:11 I fell in love with this place,
00:15 but I fell in love with a girl before I did that.
00:17 (Laughter.)
00:18 Please all have a seat.
00:20 Shannon, thanks for that introduction,
00:22 and thank you for your brothers and sisters
00:24 and the building trades,
00:26 what they're doing to help build a future here in Syracuse.
00:30 You know, before I start, I want to take a moment
00:32 to honor two officers who I already mentioned --
00:35 two fallen heroes who were killed
00:37 in the line of duty this month --
00:39 Lieutenant Michael Hosick and -- County Sheriff Department,
00:43 and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen.
00:46 We pray for their loved ones whose hearts have been broken.
00:50 You know, every time a police officer
00:53 puts on that shield every morning,
00:55 their husband or wife -- whatever it is --
00:57 or child worries about, "Will they get that phone call?
01:00 Will they get that phone call?"
01:03 I got one of those phone calls in a different circumstance.
01:06 Find out you've lost part of your soul,
01:08 lost part of your heart.
01:11 For the entire Syracuse community, it's grieving.
01:13 And we're grieving with you.
01:16 You know, to the men and women of law enforcement
01:19 here and across the country,
01:21 you represent the best of us -- you really do.
01:23 It's one of the toughest jobs in America --
01:26 one of the toughest jobs.
01:28 And to the families, who I hope to get to meet shortly,
01:31 I say my heart goes out to you. Thank you.
01:35 And God bless you all.
01:37 Folks, I want to thank Governor Hochul
01:40 for having us here today and for her partnership.
01:44 And thanks to Chuck Schumer,
01:47 a relentless advocate for this project,
01:49 we -- we're here to talk about today.
01:51 County Executive McMahon, it's good to be back in a place
01:54 that meant so much to me in my life.
01:57 I also want to thank Governor Little of Idaho and --
02:00 and -- and Boise Mayor Klain for joining us.
02:04 Micron CEO Sanjay, thank you for your leadership
02:08 and investment in America.
02:10 We tried to entice you a little bit with a couple hundred --
02:12 you know, billions of dollars, but you can't.
02:15 (Laughter.)
02:16 And it seemed to work.
02:18 (Laughter.)
02:19 And to all the union leaders here,
02:21 including Randy Weingarten,
02:22 the American Federation of Teachers,
02:24 thank you for showing the world
02:26 that we can do big things again in America.
02:28 And, oh, folks, all over the years,
02:30 I've asked business leaders like Sanjay --
02:33 because the other team kept criticizing me for --
02:36 want to make these investments, you know,
02:37 things like the -- the infrastructure bill,
02:40 which is over a trillion dollars,
02:41 and we're going to have --
02:43 we have an infrastructure decade coming.
02:45 Last guy had infrastructure week and never showed up.
02:47 (Laughter.)
02:49 But -- but, you know, I asked him --
02:51 I was told that, you know, this is government intervention.
02:54 Said, "Sure as hell is."
02:56 (Laughter.)
02:58 I ask every business leader I know --
02:59 (applause)
03:01 -- this is not a joke.
03:02 When the federal government makes a multibillion-dollar
03:05 investment in something, does that encourage you
03:07 or discourage you from getting engaged?
03:09 Well, guess what? Every single solitary leader
03:12 said overwhelmingly yes and encouraged them to get engaged.
03:16 And so that's why we're here today.
03:17 You know, during the pandemic, folks,
03:20 everyone learned about supply chains.
03:22 You may remember, we had a global shortage
03:24 of semiconductors --
03:26 smaller than the tip of your finger,
03:27 and now it's even smaller than that --
03:29 that would help power everything in our lives,
03:31 from smartphones to cars to dishwashers, satellites.
03:35 We invented those chips here in America.
03:37 We invented them. We made them move.
03:40 We modernized them. But over time, we stopped --
03:43 we used to have 40 percent of this market,
03:45 and over time, we stopped making them.
03:48 So when the pandemic shut down chip factories overseas,
03:52 prices of everything went up.
03:53 And here at home, that semiconductor shortage
03:56 drove one-third of the surge in inflation in 2021.
04:00 Caused long wait lines of all kinds of products.
04:04 Folks, I determined that I'm never going to let us
04:07 be vulnerable to wait lines again.
04:10 What is essential, we're going to make it here in America.
04:13 And together -- (applause)
04:19 -- by the way, that's not hyperbole; that's literal.
04:22 Together, with Schumer, Leder, and I,
04:24 we took action to make sure these chips
04:26 were made in America again, creating tens of thousands --
04:29 and I mean tens of thousands of good-paying jobs,
04:32 bringing prices down for everyone.
04:34 In 2022, together with Leder, Schumer,
04:38 we wrote the Chips and Science Act.
04:40 We used to invest significant amounts of money
04:42 in research and development. We stopped doing it.
04:44 But I was determined we were going to do it again.
04:47 It's one of the most significant science
04:48 and technology investments in our history.
04:51 And two months later, I came to Syracuse
04:53 to celebrate Micron's historic plan
04:55 to build the biggest semiconductor
04:57 manufacturing site in all of America --
04:59 one of the biggest in the world.
05:01 As was mentioned, it's the size of --
05:03 going to be the size of 40 football field -- 40.
05:06 Big enough to fit four carrier domes inside
05:09 and still have space left over.
05:11 Today, I'm pleased to announce we're building on that commitment
05:15 with a landmark preliminary agreement
05:17 between my administration and Micron,
05:20 a major chip manufacturer, which is building these fabs
05:23 here in upstate New York.
05:24 Six point one billion in chips funding,
05:28 paired with $125 billion from Micron
05:32 to build these facilities here in New York
05:34 and near Micron headquarters in Idaho.
05:36 And I -- you know, by the way -- (applause)
05:43 -- it's been mentioned before,
05:45 it's the single biggest private investment
05:47 ever in the history of these two states --
05:49 Idaho and, you know, New York.
05:51 So far from -- not far from here.
05:53 And Clay, New York, is going to help build two
05:56 to four manufacturing facilities
05:58 planned by Micron's Megalabs.
06:00 And Boise, Ohio, is going to help build new,
06:03 high-volume manufacturing fabs as well.
06:05 In all, it's going to create over 70,000 jobs
06:10 across both states,
06:11 at least 9,000 of which are construction jobs;
06:14 11,000 manufacturing jobs; tens of thousands more up
06:18 and down the supply chain.
06:20 And it includes 9,000 permanent Micron manufacturing jobs
06:24 right here in Clay -- not here, but near -- in Clay.
06:28 Just a -- just a little bit from here.
06:30 Many of them paying -- catch this -- $100,000 a year.
06:34 And it doesn't require a college degree.
06:38 (Applause.)
06:44 These projects are governed by the largest project
06:47 labor agreement in the state's history.
06:48 It makes one of the -- and it makes sure that work
06:51 is done on time with the highest quality
06:53 and most significant safety standards.
06:56 And I'm pleased that Micron is planning to sit down
06:58 with unions to discuss labor peace.
07:01 Look, that's not all.
07:03 (Applause.)
07:06 By the way, I know I get criticized
07:07 for being the most pro-union President of American history,
07:10 but guess what?
07:11 The middle class built this country,
07:13 and unions built the middle class.
07:15 (Applause.)
07:21 These new -- brand-new facilities
07:23 are going to produce the most sophisticated,
07:25 powerful, leading-edge memory chips in the entire world.
07:28 Each one has -- has trillions --
07:32 not billions, not millions -- trillions of tiny features,
07:35 each 4,000 times thinner than a single hair on your head.
07:40 And I got some very thin hair on my head.
07:42 (Laughter.)
07:43 They require manufacturing precision
07:45 down to the size of an atom.
07:47 They present -- they process enormous amounts of information
07:52 at lightning speed.
07:53 And they're critical to the emerging technologies
07:56 that will power tomorrow's economy,
07:57 like artificial intelligence and advanced communications.
08:00 They'll make everyday things faster,
08:03 lighter, smaller, and more reliable.
08:06 And it's about time.
08:08 Even though America invented these advanced chips,
08:11 we don't make any of them today. Zero. Zero.
08:14 All manufacturing of leading-edge chips
08:17 moved to Asia years ago.
08:18 And that's why, today,
08:20 this is such a big deal, and it is a big deal.
08:22 We're bringing advanced chips manufacturing
08:25 back to America after 40 years.
08:27 And it's going to transform our semiconductor industry --
08:31 a pillar of a modern economy.
08:33 And it's going to create an entirely new ecosystem
08:35 in research, design,
08:37 manufacturing of advanced chips here in America.
08:40 Folks, where is it written when I said
08:43 we were going to have the -- become the manufacturing
08:45 capital of the world again when I got elected?
08:48 They looked at me -- some of my friends --
08:49 and said, "You're crazy."
08:51 Well, where the he- -- where the heck is it written
08:53 that American manufacturing can't --
08:56 will not be the capital of the world again?
08:58 It's going to be.
09:00 We've already created 800 --
09:01 nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs since I took office.
09:05 And, quote, "We're just getting started."
09:08 And that's a fact. We're just getting started.
09:10 It isn't just about investing in America;
09:12 it's about investing in the American people as well.
09:14 (Applause.)
09:23 And that includes training folks for these high-paying jobs --
09:26 highly skilled, new jobs that we're creating.
09:29 To do that, we're bringing employers, unions,
09:32 community colleges, high schools together,
09:35 and workforce hubs where folks can learn the skills hands-on.
09:39 My Jill -- my wife, Jill, cares a lot about this as well.
09:42 She's teaching at a community college right now.
09:45 Last year, she announced our first five workforce hubs
09:48 in the United States --
09:50 in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Baltimore,
09:52 Columbus, Ohio, and Augusta, Georgia.
09:54 Thousands of workers will be trained in these facilities.
09:57 And today, I'm pleased to announce four new hub programs.
10:01 One hub in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.
10:03 Folks will make electric cars. Another hub in Philadelphia.
10:06 One in Milwaukee will train workers
10:08 that will replace every --
10:10 every poisonous lead pipe in America within the decade.
10:12 And here in Syracuse -- the Syracuse region --
10:15 a new hub is going to train semiconductor workers
10:17 for the future.
10:19 (Applause.)
10:26 And I know that Micron is also partnering
10:28 with the American Federation of Teachers
10:29 to develop technology curriculum
10:31 for high schools in New York State.
10:33 Think about it, those of you who are as young as me --
10:36 40 in your 40s or so.
10:37 (Laughter.)
10:39 How many schools still have shop in them?
10:41 How many folks have --
10:43 who you learn how to work with your hands?
10:45 A significant number of public schools did away with it.
10:47 So many young people who are qualified and want to
10:52 and are capable of working --
10:54 never know that they have that capacity.
10:56 Well, I want to thank Randy and Sanjay for their work
11:00 and Micron's leadership in workforce development,
11:02 because it's going to make a big difference.
11:05 In all, so far -- (applause)
11:11 -- my Investing in America agenda
11:13 has attracted more than $825 billion --
11:16 $825 billion in private sector investment,
11:21 not a penny of which existed before I got elected.
11:23 I've ignited a man- -- it ignited a manufacturing boom,
11:27 a clean energy boom,
11:29 a semiconductor boom nationwide.
11:31 And it's clear we have the strongest economy in the world.
11:34 That's a fact.
11:35 Fifteen million new jobs created in three and a half years.
11:38 Unemployment hasn't been this low for this long for 50 years.
11:43 Wages are rising. Instead of importing foreign products,
11:47 we're exporting -- and exporting American jobs --
11:50 we're exporting American products
11:52 and creating American jobs --
11:53 (applause)
11:55 -- here in America, where they belong.
11:57 (Applause.)
12:00 But, folks, my predecessor and his MAGA Republican friends
12:03 have a very different view.
12:05 They opposed the Chips in Science Act
12:08 that's powering this growth today.
12:10 In fact, your congressman, Brandon Williams,
12:13 called it "corporate welfare." Bless me, Father.
12:17 And Lisa Stefani, a few counties over,
12:22 called the Chips Act, he said,
12:23 "was Washington at its worst," end of quote.
12:26 I guess they're not going to be here today to celebrate.
12:30 (Laughter and applause.)
12:32 But now -- now --
12:34 (applause)
12:41 -- conversion is wonderful, isn't it?
12:43 Now they've seen the massive surge in investment
12:46 in jobs that we've mobilized.
12:48 And they're singing a different tune now.
12:51 Now they say, "This is critical."
12:53 You got that? Stefani said, "This is critical."
12:56 Now they say what we're doing will, quote,
12:59 "lead to a more prosperous, secure, and innovative America."
13:02 Well, there's nothing I said like conversion.
13:06 I agree. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
13:08 (Laughter.)
13:09 Folks, look, we got to stop this division.
13:11 I promise to be present for all of America,
13:14 whether you voted for me or not.
13:16 Today's investment helps Americans everywhere --
13:18 in red states and blue states --
13:20 and proof that we have -- we leave no one behind.
13:23 Of the infrastructure jobs and proposals,
13:27 we have more of them in red states than in blue states.
13:30 It's about America. Let me close with this.
13:33 The past few years, I've talked to folks all across America
13:36 in their communities and at their kitchen tables.
13:39 They often tell me, back in 2020, they were down.
13:43 They lost their business. How many did you know somebody
13:47 worked at Carrier, another facility,
13:49 and a whole generation that worked there?
13:51 And you're sitting there as a parent,
13:53 and your mom and the kid that comes home,
13:55 well-educated, says, "I can't live here anymore.
13:58 No job for me. I got to move. I got to move."
14:01 They lost faith.
14:04 Syracuse is a good example. For decades -- decades --
14:08 it was a manufacturing boomtown full of good-paying jobs
14:11 and a solid path to the middle class.
14:14 I know. I lived here. I went to law school here.
14:18 I married a wonderful woman from Lake Scaniatlas who --
14:21 I came -- that's why I came to Syracuse Law School.
14:24 I felt it. But over the years,
14:27 trickle-down economics swept it all away.
14:29 Under my predecessor, manufacturers left.
14:32 Factories like BCS Automotive over in Auburn,
14:36 where her family lived, shut down.
14:38 Twenty-two thousand local jobs
14:42 disappeared in the Syracuse region.
14:43 That's the story seen in community
14:46 after community nationwide.
14:48 Hollowed out, robbed of hope, but not on my watch,
14:54 thanks to investing we're making in America
14:56 and the partnerships we formed.
14:58 American manufacturing is back.
15:02 (Applause.)
15:03 New factories are going up all across the country.
15:06 And communities like Syracuse
15:08 are writing the great American comeback story.
15:11 That's what it is -- a comeback story --
15:12 creating new jobs, new businesses, and new hope.
15:15 Today, folks, when folks see shovels
15:21 in the ground in these projects,
15:23 people going back to work hope they feel the pride that I feel.
15:27 Pride in their hometowns making a comeback.
15:29 Pride in America.
15:31 Pride in knowing we can get big things done
15:33 when we work together.
15:35 That's why I've never been more optimistic
15:36 about this nation's future.
15:38 We just have to remember who we are, for God's sake.
15:41 We're the United States of America.
15:43 And there's nothing -- nothing, nothing --
15:45 beyond our capacity to get done when we work together.
15:50 God bless you all, and may God protect our troops.
15:53 This is a big-deal day.
15:55 Congratulations, Syracuse. Congratulations.
15:58 Thank you. Thank you.
16:01 (upbeat music)