Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11, discussed her efforts to grow the New Jersey economy while dealing with what she called a “dysfunctional” Congress during a telephone town hall Monday, Dec. 11.
Sherrill said at the beginning of the town hall that it was focused on her legislative effort, the “American Jobs and Competition Plan” that she says will boost economic growth in the state and strengthen America’s global competitiveness.
Morgan Dwyer, the chief strategy officer for the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) Program Office, spoke during the town hall about the CHIPS and Science Act passed by Congress in August 2022.
Dwyer said the act appropriated about $52 billion to the Department of Commerce to support both research and development and the return of manufacturing to the United States. The bill, Dwyer said, also appropriated about $11 billion to advance U.S. leadership in semiconductor research and development.
“CHIPS for America is truly a historic opportunity to solidify America’s leadership, bring manufacturing and supply chain back to our shores and protect our national security,” Dwyer said.
“It’s no small task, and it really is a historic responsibility for the Department of Commerce, which is where I work. Thankfully, we are ready to meet this moment, and we’re implementing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act in a way that is going to meet our nation’s economic and national security needs while at the same time, creating good-paying jobs in communities across the country.”
Sherrill said this Congress has unfortunately been one of the more dysfunctional Congresses she’s been a part of, but through it all, she says she has stayed focused on the priorities that will improve affordability and expand opportunities for New Jerseyans.
“So there’s a lot we still need to get done for the American people,” Sherrill said. “But I know many of you are concerned about whether or not I can continue to deliver for New Jersey. I do want to stress that we can still get important work done when we’re willing to stay focused on the priorities of the American people.”
Sherrill said that in the past few weeks, she sat down with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss efforts to support New Jersey businesses on the global stage, crack down on “unfair” trade practices by the Chinese Communist Party and deliver critical CHIPS and Science Act Funding to manufacturers in New Jersey.
The Congresswoman also said she has been working on the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Committee to strengthen the U.S.’s national security and support service members and military families.
Sherrill said she has continued to fight for the U.S.’s democratic allies across the globe including support of Ukraine’s defense against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “brutal” invasion, Taiwan’s security in the face of China’s aggression, Israel’s defense against Hamas and humanitarian aid to civilians across the world and in Gaza.
Sherrill talked about how she secured “critical” funding for most of the Gateway Tunnel and Lackawanna Cutoff rail projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Construction has now started on the first component of Gateway’s Hudson River tunnel. These projects, Sherrill said, are going to cut travel times and costs, reduce congestion and lower emissions throughout New Jersey.
Sherrill also said she has been fighting to bring down the costs of child care and extend critical funding to keep New Jersey child care centers open.
She said she’s also continuing to strongly advocate for the repeal of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap in any tax package that comes up next year. The Republican majority in the House, she said, continues to block SALT legislation, but she’ll continue to work with partners on both sides of the aisle to get this done.