Vice President Kamala Harris tore into Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday for his remark that Republicans may search to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act in the event that they take management of Congress within the upcoming election.
“I additionally need to communicate to the feedback which have been lately made by the speaker of the House,” Harris advised reporters in Milwaukee. “It is simply additional proof of every part that I’ve really been speaking about for months now, about [former President Donald] Trump’s intention to implement Project 2025.”
“We have talked repeatedly — and the American folks know what’s in it — we’ve talked repeatedly about their intention to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. Now to eliminate the CHIPS Act,” Harris added.
Her remarks got here a day after Johnson made the controversial remark at an occasion in New York with politically weak Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y. When requested whether or not Republicans will search to repeal the CHIPS Act in the event that they win the election, Johnson replied, “I anticipate that we in all probability will,” in line with a video posted by an area journalist.
Johnson’s assertion led to a clumsy change during which Williams stood subsequent to him and disagreed. “The CHIPS Act is vastly impactful right here,” Williams mentioned, vowing to “remind” Johnson “evening and day” in regards to the significance of the legislation.
Johnson replied by praising Williams: “If that’s an necessary factor on your district, you want this man there to make that case.”
Not lengthy after, because the clip began to flow into, Johnson walked again his remark, saying in an announcement: “As I’ve additional defined and clarified, I totally assist Micron coming to Central NY, and the CHIPS Act just isn’t on the agenda for repeal. To the opposite, there might be laws to additional streamline and enhance the first objective of the invoice — to get rid of its expensive rules and Green New Deal necessities.”
Williams mentioned in an announcement that he spoke to Johnson after the occasion and the speaker “apologized profusely, saying he misheard the query.”
Later at Saturday’s press convention, Harris continued to blast Johnson and Republicans, saying the speaker walked again his remark “as a result of it’s not common, and their agenda just isn’t common.”
“And that’s why persons are exhibiting up by the 1000’s, tens of 1000’s, to speak about an agenda that really is concentrated on lifting them up,” the vice chairman added.
When requested about Johnson’s remarks, his marketing campaign spokesperson criticized the nation’s financial efficiency below the Biden administration, together with an October jobs report that got here in a lot decrease than anticipated, partially as a result of harm from the latest hurricanes and strikes.
“No one has killed extra jobs on this nation and carried out extra to crush the American folks than Kamala Harris,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to NBC News.
The spokesperson additionally known as her feedback in regards to the CHIPS Act a “lie as a result of she’s a failed, radical, say-anything politician who can’t level to a SINGLE factor she’s carried out to enhance Americans’ value of residing and lifestyle.”
Harris was not the primary Democrat to assault Johnson for his remarks.
“Wow — Mike Johnson confirms he and Trump would repeal the CHIPS legislation, which is investing in new vegetation and manufacturing in PA, MI, NC, GA, AZ that’s creating 1000’s of jobs,” Harris spokesperson Ian Sams posted on X on Friday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., additionally wrote on X, “The Republican Speaker of the House simply advised the tens of 1000’s of development employees constructing New York and America’s future they need to ship them pink slips ASAP.”
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s spokesperson Jacob Peters additionally slammed Johnson, writing in a publish on X, “He didn’t misunderstand something. His solely mistake was being sincere.”
Later on Saturday, at a union occasion in Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden addressed Johnson’s remark, saying, “Trump and Republicans need to eliminate the CHIPS and Science Act.
“I labored like hell to get that carried out. I wrote that sucker,” he added.
The CHIPS Act handed Congress on a bipartisan foundation and was signed into legislation by Biden in 2022.
It allotted $280 billion in new funding to spice up home analysis and the manufacturing of semiconductors and chips. It additionally allotted funding for different science, expertise and engineering packages.
According to the Commerce Department, the CHIPS and Science Act has led to $53 billion in spending on semiconductors; $30 billion in non-public sector investments, spanning 23 tasks and 15 states; 16 new semiconductor vegetation and about 115,000 new manufacturing and development jobs by finish of 2024.