Josh Riley Calls Out Washington Politicians For Stupid Plan to Kill Upstate Manufacturing Jobs

Washington, D.C. — Today,  in a committee hearing on the House Space Science and Technology Committee, Congressman Josh Riley spoke out against the Trump administration's plan to kill the CHIPS & Science Act. 

In last week's Joint Session address to Congress President Trump called the CHIPS Act a ‘horrible thing’ and encouraged Congress to kill future CHIPS spending, a move that would devastate communities across Upstate New York and kill thousands of good-paying jobs in high tech manufacturing.

The CHIPS & Science Act promises to restore Upstate manufacturing, creating thousands of good jobs,” Riley said. “Ripping that away will be IBM all over again, gutting our local economy and killing the chance for a manufacturing revival before it even begins. I’m not going to let a bunch of politicians who don’t know the first thing about Upstate New York rip that away.”

Upstate New York stands to lose billions in investments and tens of thousands of jobs if CHIPS Act funding is gutted. In Binghamton, the New York Energy Storage Hub could lose up to $145 million. In Syracuse, Micron’s $6.1 billion grant—set to create 50,000 jobs—could vanish. In Lansing, Menlo Micro’s planned $50 million facility, bringing good jobs and economic growth to Tompkins County, could be at risk.

Full Transcript of Riley’s remarks:

"Made in America" isn’t just a political slogan; it’s literally who we are. In my hometown, Endicott, New York, we had the world’s biggest shoe company for generations. My family worked there for a long, long time. They were tanners. My grandma stitched boots. And I’m so proud of that—not just because we made things, and not just because they were made in America, but because we made important things.

During the world wars, we equipped American soldiers with American-made boots to go off to Europe and stomp out fascism. I mean, I just got here two months ago. I’ve barely decorated my office, but aside from some family photos, the one thing I have in my office is a pair of boots made in my hometown by my great-great-grandparents—boots that were worn by our soldiers in the world wars.

IBM was founded in my hometown. Thousands of people in Endicott and the Triple Cities made the circuit boards that brought the world a technological revolution and put America at the forefront of it. My family, my friends, my neighbors—they clocked in, worked their hands to the bone, clocked out, went home, got up the next day, and did it all over again. They did everything that anyone has ever asked of them. And the only thing they ever asked in return was a fair shot at the middle class.

But instead, what we’ve seen from Washington for generations is upstate New Yorkers getting the rug pulled out from under them. A bunch of Washington politicians, Wall Street bankers, and corporate executives decided to ship all our jobs overseas—to China, to Mexico—just so they could make a quick buck. And sure, that was great for their bottom lines, but it was devastating for working people in this country. It was devastating for blue-collar towns like the one I grew up in.

You step outside Washington, you go home to the American heartland, you go to upstate New York, and you see that people are really hurting. The cost of living is unbearable—utility prices, rent. My God, you go to the Wegmans in Johnson City, and eggs are seven bucks a dozen. Meanwhile, wages in this country haven’t increased since we let China into the WTO 25 years ago.

And then, after decades of failed industrial and trade policies, this place—this committee—finally got something right. Something really exciting. Something good. The CHIPS and Science Act.

Think about it: Instead of being dependent on China for chips, we’re going to make them in America. We’re going to make them in upstate New York. And it’s obvious that we should—it's a matter of national security. Seriously, how stupid is it to rely on China for something as essential as semiconductors? It’s a terrible risk for our national security. But beyond that, we need this law to rebuild the middle class in America. To rebuild the middle class in upstate New York.