Semiconductor, science bill passes Senate, heads to House

WASHINGTON — A bill to bolster chip manufacturing and scientific research won Senate approval, setting Congress up to clear a trimmed economic competitiveness package after a yearlong-plus push.

The Senate voted 64-33 Wednesday to pass the “chips and science” bill. The House is expected to clear the legislation before leaving town Friday for the August recess, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature.

Before passage, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer praised the bill as one of this Congress’ most consequential bipartisan achievements.

“After years of hard work, the Senate is passing the largest investment in science, technology and advanced manufacturing in decades,” Schumer said on the floor Wednesday. “This chips and science bill is going to create millions of good-paying jobs down the road. It will alleviate supply chains, it will help lower costs, and it will protect America’s national security interests.”

There are currently 19,188 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak, which the World Health Organization has recently classified as a public health emergency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3,591 of them are in the United States.

Even though right now the vast majority of cases are being reported among gay and bisexual men, it’s important to focus on fighting the virus, and not stigmatizing those who are infected, Fauci said.

“You reach out to the community. You make it very easy for them to have access to testing, to treatment and to the vaccine as opposed to making it a situation where people are afraid to come forward for those types of things,” he added.