Biden Delivers Remarks on the CHIPS and Science Act

Please welcome Governor Kathy Hochul.

Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Well, first of all, before we start with this festive celebration, I thought it was appropriate that we first take a moment to acknowledge two members of the law enforcement community that we tragically lost just this past week. They were protecting people’s lives. And I want to acknowledge Officer Michael Jensen of the Syracuse Police Department and Lieutenant Michael Hoosock of the Onondaga Sheriff’s Office. I have been so moved by their bravery and the unimaginable circumstances in which they found themselves just a short time ago, and the way this community has stood up and rallied around their families, around law enforcement, to give them the respect that they deserve. So I ask you to join me now for a moment of silence as we pray for these two heroes and their families. Thank you.

(01:23)
Well, this much-anticipated day has finally arrived. Yes. Welcoming back… Welcoming back President Joe Biden to his beloved Syracuse, we know he loves it here best, with a homecoming of this magnitude. The president and I have a few things in common. First, we’re both Irish Catholic Democrats from blue-collar towns. We also went to Syracuse University, and we bleed orange. We both lived in this community. We walked the streets. We know the people, and we know what it means to this community to land the largest private sector investment in our nation’s history.

(02:27)
This region for so long has dreamed of regaining the preeminence and the glory of the yesteryears that was first propelled by the economic expansion brought by the Erie Canal, need I say, built by the Irish a long time ago as well. Following the Erie Canal, all these businesses found their way here. Carrier Corporation, GE, Chrysler, all these companies believed in this area, until one day they were gone, woke up and they were gone. They went south, they went overseas. I grew up just down the road, Lackawanna, Buffalo, saw the same thing. Everything we felt was part of our identity was gone. And it has a chilling effect on the psychology of a community, and it lasts a long, long time. And you start to give up hope. You question, are better days really behind us? Businesses left. Empty factories became symbolic with the community. Families left. My family left. Families here left because there were no jobs. Unemployment went up and hope washed away.

(03:59)
And yet this community never, ever gave up on itself. They always believed, the belief in their people and their resources, their assets, their educational institutions. And they worked hard to be prepared for just that day when that opportunity would come knocking on their door. So they were ready, they were hungry, they were excited. And we never believed that it would happen so soon in our lifetime. The next generation finally see a revolution that would change this community forever. My friends, that day has not only arrived, but the future has arrived with it. The future has arrived, starting here today. Welcome to the future.

(04:54)
And what brought us to this day? A growth-oriented company with a clear vision of the future, all the way from the great State of Idaho, Sanjay Mehrotra and Micron, I welcome you. We’ll make you honorary New Yorkers starting today. Thank you.

(05:20)
And then while we’re mentioning the great State of Idaho, we have our governor, Brad Little, who’s come all the way here because there’s a synergy between Boise, Idaho and Central New York, and they’re going to be sharing so many ideas and opportunities. So I want to give a round of applause to Governor Brad Little who has joined us.

(05:40)
But let me throw out a number, my friends. $100 billion. Unprecedented. Unbelievable. Not just for New York, but for the entire nation. Micron’s Clay megafab will power a regional transformation and forever shape New York’s role in the global economy. And none of it would be possible without President Joe Biden and his commitment from the CHIPS and Science Act. President Biden knows all about manufacturing. He knows that means supporting not just legacy businesses, but here we have an opportunity to manufacture the future, semiconductors that used to power everything that is important in our lives. And he knows it’s also the key to good paying union jobs in the construction and beyond. He knows this, he sees this, and that’s why he’s fighting. He knows that’s how we grow the middle class.

(06:55)
I also want to thank majority leader Chuck Schumer for navigating this through the Senate, but also the indispensable role he played in helping land Micron right here. Because the federal CHIPS Act created incentives to bring businesses back here, but they could have gone anywhere in America. We wanted to make sure that New York was competitive.

(07:20)
I also want to thank the members of the New York delegation who supported this, except for the five who declared that this would be a disaster. You can look it up. This otherwise bipartisan bill got over the finish line. I want to thank my team at Empire State Development led by Hope Knight, Kevin Younis, who this is personal to, Kevin Younis, Hope. And also President Biden, you know how to find talent. Gina Raimondo is a rock star. I know she’s in Africa today, but she is here in our hearts for her incredible work and the entire team at the White House who made this happen.

(07:58)
So from the moment the president signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, I knew we had to move quickly here in New York. I’m a little bit competitive. I was not going to lose to some other state that jumped ahead of us. So literally, I met Manish and members of the Micron team. I had been governor, I think, about five days. I think they were the first ones to show me where my conference room was. And they sat there and told me their vision, but they needed things to happen. They need the CHIPS and Science Act. They would need help from the state. They need help from the locals. And I knew we had a race to make New York the most competitive place in the nation to deliver this, and have a fighting chance.

(08:40)
So, literally two days after the federal law was signed, I signed New York’s Green CHIPS Bill and said, “We’re right there with you. We’ll make sure this happens in our own state.” That is a $10 billion initiative to do the extra incentives that communities need and businesses need. We did it here in New York. So state money, federal money, sent out the message across the world, New York is where you want to be. So, that’s what has happened here today.

(09:13)
And two months later, we landed Micron. One of the happiest days of my life. But the next question was, where does it go? We’re going to have them come to New York. Well, this is where I want to thank County Executive Ryan McMahon and everybody in the county, your economic development team, your planning team, because you had a shovel-ready site right here in Clay. The tax abatements, the assistance you did, extraordinary. So what a great combination.

(09:44)
Let me tell you what this adds up to. This is what you get when you have state, federal, and local government working hand-in-hand. $7.1 billion from the State of New York, $6.1 billion from the federal government, $5.2 billion from Onondaga County. That’s worth the investment to get over $100 billion, don’t you think? I think that’s a good return on our money. But it’s not just the $100 billion investment. It’s the 50,000 jobs that follow which will transform this region forever. That’s what gets the round of applause in my mind. 50,000 good paying jobs. 20 years of building, 5,600 union construction jobs. Anybody here from union? Let’s hear it from them as well. Central New York President Greg Lancette. Is Greg Lancette here? I called you up, Greg. I said, “Greg, make this happen. Don’t call me if you don’t get this done.” And you got it done, Greg, so thank you. Thank you very much.

(10:59)
You’ll hear from representatives from Micron about all the things they’re doing, the child care, the apprenticeship programs, the investment in the local YWCA. I personally believe, as a mom who had struggled and had to leave a great job I had working for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan a long time ago, I had to leave because I couldn’t get child care. No more. We’re calling on companies, step up and do your part. Micron said, “Of course we will.” Right now they’re building child care on site. That’s what a visionary company does. That’s what every company should be doing, so more moms can get into the workforce.

(11:38)
Let me close. I believe in this state. I believe we are on the cusp of greatness. I believe in this power the state for too long have been overlooked. Hard-hit communities are going to now see opportunities where they never could have dreamed to be. New life, vitality, and energy. But above all, we’re changing the psychology of this community and all of upstate New York. People realize their communities matter. They have value. And so, in so doing, we’re restoring something that has been long elusive in this area. We’re bringing back hope. President Biden, thank you for bringing hope back to upstate New York and will forever be changed because of you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

Please welcome Onondaga County executive Ryan McMahon.

Good afternoon, everybody. We could do better than that. Good afternoon, everybody. So pleased to be here, and I want to thank so many people who have helped make this possible today. This is a historic day in our community, and we have so many partners in this room that this day wouldn’t have happened without, and so it’s really just an honor to be here.

(13:18)
I also did want to take a moment, as the governor did, to reflect the reality that our community’s been through for the last week and a half. The tragic loss of two of our superheroes, Officer Jensen and Lieutenant Hoosock. As we’ve gotten to know their stories more, it doesn’t push the pain away, it actually makes it a little bit stronger. But the reality is, these were superheroes in our community. These were people who loved their families, loved their brothers and sisters in law enforcement, and loved this community, and actually gave the ultimate sacrifice for this community. And we are all in awe of that sacrifice. And because of that, we need to continue the work to honor them and to honor that sacrifice.

(14:06)
And that’s what today’s kind of about. It’s about the moment we have in front of us. As a community, we need to meet that moment. And what a story we all have to share. A story about vision, a story about ambition, a story about a community that is hungry and aligned. A story about bold bipartisan partnerships. And from that framework, look at the results. The White Pine Business Park, the country’s greatest megasite, right here in Onondaga County. Then you transition to Green CHIPS, with the State of New York stepping up to the plate in a major way. And I want to thank the governor, and I want to thank all of our state partners for that. Then you talk about the investment tax credit that Senator Schumer helped champion through the Senate and through Congress. Amazingly important. And here we are today with a presidential visit, the second in less than two years, from President Biden to talk about the CHIPS and Science Act.

(15:06)
When you put those pieces together and you lay out that puzzle, what you get is the greatest memory technology company in the world making the largest investment in their company’s history, and the largest private sector investment in the State of New York and the United States of America. Simply breathtaking.

(15:28)
So you’re going to hear from some really important people soon, but that, my friends, is an American story, and that is your story. Let’s meet the moment together. Let’s get to work. God bless you all. Congratulations.

Please welcome Senator Chuck Schumer.

Hello Syracuse. It’s great to be here. I want to show you something. I am Syracuse today from head to toe. I got my SU socks on. So it’s great to be here, everybody, and I’m so proud to be here. But before I begin, I want to remember, as we all do, that two Sundays ago this community lost two selfless heroes. Today and every day we salute and remember Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Michael Hoosock. Their dedication to serving the public and their selfless heroism

… Motivates and inspires us to build a Syracuse and a Central New York community that is safe, that is healthy, that is vibrant for all who live here. Let us always commit to that very important effort.

(17:20)
Now, it is so good to be here on such an important day for this community’s future and for America’s future. First, he’s not wearing the orange socks, but he’s Syracuse all the way, let’s give it up for our great guest president, Joe Biden. Mr. President, welcome back to Syracuse. This city will always be home for you.

(17:54)
Now, this is a historic day, a historic investment, a historic moment for Syracuse, for Upstate New York, and for all of America. Today we celebrate one of the largest federal investments for a single project ever in Upstate New York. Thanks to our CHIPS and Science Law, $6 billion dollars, that’s with a B, will supercharge Micron to build the most advanced memory chip factory in the world right here in Syracuse, in Central New York. The most advanced chip memory factory in the world right here. So, we are building, we are rebuilding Upstate New York’s economy one microchip at a time!

(18:56)
Our country will be more economically secure because of Micron. Our national security will be stronger because of Micron. And Syracuse, Central New York, and Upstate New York’s economy will be more prosperous because of Micron. This expansion will bring nearly 50,000 good paying jobs, enough to fill every seat in the JMA Dome. The funding will help Micron invest a record more than $100 billion in Upstate. Folks, this is the largest single private investment in all of New York State’s history, and one of the largest investments ever in the nation’s history. Is not that great?

(19:57)
And Micron, which has always been such a progressive company, is doing this while supporting quality jobs, above and beyond when compared to the rest of the industry. Every square foot of Micron’s massive expansion, the size of 40 football fields, will be built with good-paying union construction jobs, the largest PLA, Project Labor Agreement, ever in American history. And listen to this: Micron is the only company providing child care to its workers on all of their sites. Micron is fully committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. And Micron is publicly committed to the rights of workers to form and join unions and collectively bargain. Micron is leading the way as the only major company to agree to sit down with unions and have a conversation about the future of their workforce. Very soon, very soon the world’s most advanced memory chips will be recognized by a simple phrase that will be known around the world: “Made in Upstate New York.”.

(21:44)
For the first time in 20 years, we are bringing back leading-edge memory chip production to the U.S. That loss of manufacturing is all too familiar for the families in this community and in all of Upstate New York. I still shake with anger when the head of UT, United Technologies, told me they were going to shut down and move operations of Carrier out of Syracuse to Asia. I still am infuriated when I remember him saying that. So, I made it my mission to change that. I wrote and crafted the CHIPS and Science Law with Syracuse and Upstate New York as my north star. I wrote the bill with this day in mind and here we are.

(22:39)
Oh, yeah. Today this vision becomes a reality, and the bill delivers bigger for Central New York than I even imagined. And I had a big memory for that, a large, grand memory at first. Now, it took a lot of work to get the CHIPS bill over the finish line. It wasn’t easy to convince everyone in Congress about the importance of this bill. But I kept pushing and pushing and pushing because I knew the huge stakes for Central New York and for our country. Because of CHIPS and Science, the law we passed, and we did it bipartisan, America’s future will be built in Syracuse, not in Shanghai!

(23:29)
And folks, during those intense days, those final days that Congress negotiated the bill, I spoke with CEOs like Sanjay, who told me emphatically that, if we fail to enact the incentives contained in the CHIPS bill, companies like Micron would have to look overseas to other countries to build these fabs. It’s no exaggeration to say that without CHIPS and Science, investments like Micron would not have been possible, and the future for Upstate New York might have looked very, very different.

(24:05)
So, to all those who had had their doubts: Micron is here, Micron is real, it’s never going away. We’re here for good, and this is going to be great.

(24:19)
And today, the Federal Government is betting big on the bright future for Upstate New York. And Micron is not the only one. I’ve been working hard to get the benefits throughout the state. We have GlobalFoundries in the Capital Region, Wolfspeed in Utica, Edwards Vacuum in Genesee County between Rochester and Buffalo, and so much more. And it’s not just New York, although we’re doing damn well, it’s Idaho and Ohio and Arizona and Texas and New Hampshire and more are seeing new investments and new jobs thanks to CHIPS and Science. We are bringing back manufacturing jobs to America.

(25:06)
And I want to thank the person who made this great moment possible, and that is President Joe Biden. Upstate New York is proud to call President Biden one of our own. And Syracuse is part of the President’s DNA, he knows the struggle people here face to make ends meets. He’s seen it. He’s lived it, through his family. For him, it’s personal. He knows we must invest in places like Syracuse to create an economy that lifts everyone, from the bottom up and the middle out.

(25:52)
And while she is not here, I want to thank Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Graves, who deserve so much credit for this investment. I knew from our very first conversation when I was beginning to conceive this law that she got it. She knew the importance of reviving American manufacturing and rebuilding Upstate New York.

(26:17)
I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul and her Empire State Development team. She has been a genuine partner with us on many of these endeavors, including landing Micron and making New York a global hub of the microchip industry. And someone special: County Executive McMahon. Ryan, your vision on finding that plot of land. When I started trying to woo companies here, they said, “Do you have a site ready place?” A lot of places didn’t. Syracuse did because of you, Ryan. So he made sure how a plot of land in Clay, New York, could grow into a field of dreams for new investment.

(26:58)
I want to thank Mayor Walsh, Rob Simpson of CenterState, Greg Lancette of the local Building Trades, and so many other great union leaders from across the state and across the country who are here to celebrate this wonderful moment, and who worked with us to bring Micron to New York.

(27:17)
And last but not least, let me also thank my friend, Sanjay Mehrotra. Since the first time we talked about all New York has to offer, and he made us jump through a whole lot of hoops, he has been a man of his word. Sanjay has shown time and again about how much he cares about the country, about bringing new life back to Upstate New York, about investing in the workers, he cares about his workers. Sanjay deserves tremendous credit for his leadership and commitment to making one of the largest investments in the nation’s history. Just like the Federal Government, he and Micron are betting big, not just on the U.S., but on Upstate New York.

(28:06)
So, Sanjay, come on out here. Together, we know this is not just a once in a generation investment, it’s an investment that will span generations with Micron in the lead and Central New York going to great heights.

(28:31)
Sanjay Mehrotra, everybody.

(28:36)
Thank you, my man.

What an exciting day. And thank you for Leader Schumer for that kind introduction. Good afternoon, everybody.

(29:07)
Eighteen months ago, the president came to Syracuse with us to celebrate Micron’s vision to bring leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing to Central New York. And today we are here to make that vision a reality. Today we are celebrating an investment in America’s future, an investment in jobs, an investment in national and economic security, an investment to ensure American leadership in memory semiconductor technology and manufacturing. None of this would have been possible without the CHIPS and Science Act.

(29:49)
And there are so many who contributed to make this day happen. President Biden, thank you for your vision to invest in America and manufacture leading-edge semiconductors that are critical to emerging technologies. Secretary Raimondo, I’m sorry that you are not able to attend today, but I know your team is here, who are at the center of the CHIPS implementation. Majority Leader Schumer, your relentless tenacity to build a bipartisan coalition led to the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act. Governor Hochul, the New York Green CHIPS Program and the Community Investment Framework you led will revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem across upstate New York. Onondaga County Executive McMahon, your foresight and collaborative approach was essential to ensure that Micron had the land available, more than a thousand acres of land, to build the mega fab of the future here, the mega fab cluster of the future.

(30:56)
Leader Schumer, Governor Hochul, and County Executive McMahon, you have been instrumental in bringing Micron to New York. Thank you.

(31:13)
And we are absolutely thrilled to be part of Central New York. We have received such a warm welcome here and we are excited to build our future here together with you.

(31:23)
And for our Idaho project, I want to thank Governor Little, a longtime partner and supporter who is firmly committed to preparing Idaho’s workforce for the future. Boise Mayor McLean, thank you for sharing our community commitments and values, and leading a vision to create a city for everyone. Thank you both for traveling to be with us today.

(31:52)
I really want to thank each one of you. The collective persistence and vision of this bipartisan group has created a generational opportunity for American semiconductor manufacturing. And I would be remiss if I did not thank my board. Two of the board members, Lynn Dugle and Linnie Haynesworth, are here today with us. We are really honored to have you. And I have to say thank you for your support, your relentless support through the various challenges that we faced as we finalized to come to this day. So on behalf of all of Micron team, thank you to our board, as well.

(32:43)
This is an extraordinarily proud moment for Micron, a company that was founded by four engineers in Boise, Idaho, 45 years ago. Today we are a global innovation powerhouse. More than 40,000 team members worldwide, more than 56,000 patents that our team members have contributed over the history of the company. We are very proud of those roots. And I know our team with its expertise in technology, manufacturing, and products, really looks forward to building a leading-edge memory manufacturing here in America.

(33:22)
The investment we are announcing today will build two leading-edge memory manufacturing fabs here in New York and one additional fab in Idaho alongside our research and development facility there. These projects enabled by CHIPS Act are part of Micron’s investment of approximately $50 billion in leading-edge memory manufacturing through 2030. These fabs, we also like to call them clean room, each one of them will cover the size of 10

— football fields. These are massive. These are massive investments. They are the single largest private investment in the state of New York, as well as in the state of Idaho. These fabs have to be, of course, constructed, equipped, rammed into production. And once we realize world-class competitiveness at these sites, through government support, technology leadership, and manufacturing excellence, we can look ahead to our vision to grow to a mega cluster of four New York fabs and investment topping $100 billion over 20 plus years. There is a lot of work ahead. Our team is absolutely up to the task, and we are excited to get to work.

(34:52)
Memory and storage have never been more critical to our world. Memory is everywhere today. It’s in your smartphones, it’s in your personal computers, it’s in the data center, it’s in your cars, it’s in critical infrastructure. And Micron is a global technology leader, global leader in memory. And the products we make in the US will be used worldwide everywhere in innovative devices. And just in the short time, just 18 months ago, that we were here when we announced this project, our industry has seen the beginnings of a tremendous growth phase driven by disruptive artificial intelligence technologies. Generative AI didn’t exist or was not known to the world the way it is known today. Generative AI will transform nearly every aspect of life. Every business and every society will be transformed. Businesses will be unleashed with greater efficiencies. Manufacturing will be revolutionized. Scientific breakthroughs will occur, and it will provide for new medical treatments. And this is unquestionably the most exciting time that I have seen in my 40 plus year career. It is so exciting because memory is a key enabler of all of the AI technologies and solutions today. The low power, the high performance memory chips, are critical for data-intensive artificial intelligence workloads. It’s really chips like this, a chip that is thin as a fingernail, small as a fingernail, and this chip has 32 billion bits of data in it. This is what Micron leads the world today in manufacturing. This is what will also be in the future generations of memory chips.

(36:54)
Think about it. This chip actually has a million times more capacity than the massive computer that had sent the first man on the moon. And then you also got another one, size of my thumbnail. This is high bandwidth memory. 12 chips are stacked in this very, very thin package here. This is nearly 10 times more capacity than this other little chip that I had just shown you. These tiny powerful memory stacks hold the keys to artificial technology breakthroughs. In fact, all semiconductor companies, we believe Micron will be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the opportunity driven by AI, amidst all semiconductor companies. And that translates into great opportunities for New York here, and of course, for Idaho as well.

(37:54)
Over the past 30 years, semiconductor manufacturing largely moved overseas and the cost to build and manufacture in the US grew to more than 35% higher than in Asia. Today, less than 2% of the world’s total memory production is here in the US, but that is going to change now with the CHIPS Act. With the CHIPS Act support, with local and state support, the cost gap will be narrowed, allowing Micron to make the US home to the most advanced memory manufacturing in the world. We’ll go from that 2% today to nearly 10% in a little more than a decade, and that is really moving the needle. And that needle will be moved right here with the large volume manufacturing here in Clay, New York.

(38:58)
And memory manufacturing requires the largest scale in the semiconductor industry, and our plants reflect that. Altogether, these fabs will be capable of producing billions of chips per year, attracting a large ecosystem of suppliers across nearly all 50 states. We project that our investments will help create several tens of thousands of American jobs over the next 20 years, more than 50,000 jobs here in New York, and over 20,000 jobs in Idaho. Those numbers include direct Micron jobs, indirect community jobs, and thousands of skilled construction workers to build these advanced fabs. We are actively investing in communities across New York and Idaho to deploy the education, training, and up-skilling programs needed to develop a diverse and inclusive workforce of the future. We have community investment framework established in New York and Idaho to further advance the communities and the workforce of the future. But we are not just creating jobs, we are creating careers. For years, Micron has been actively fostering the next generation of US technology talent across multiple avenues. We are partnering with educators to build foundational STEM curriculum, working with colleges and universities on semiconductor programs and opening non-traditional pathways to reach women, veterans, rural communities, underrepresented groups, and all adults at all stages of their careers. And we are working diligently to spark more interest in STEM among children. Our partnership with great organizations, like this Museum of Science and Technology, are critical to opening the imagination of our youth. Through all these aspects that I have discussed today, Micron is not only building its memory manufacturing fabs here in New York and Idaho, Micron is building a world-class semiconductor ecosystem. This is long-term generational transformation, creating new careers, new skill sets, new factories, to support precision equipment and materials, a complete industry infrastructure. All of that will be firmly anchored here in America and drive future US semiconductor leadership.

(41:40)
I want to close with a thank you to Micron team, those who work so tirelessly to analyze and recommend these two projects and bring them to this day today, of these historic milestones. I want to thank everyone at Micron who drives our technology, our manufacturing, our product leadership. I want to thank all those that have contributed over the 45-year journey to make Micron into an iconic company that it is today. Your heart, your tenacity, your brilliant ideas, all built this iconic company. With these projects, so much more of America will see what you can do. I have no doubt they will share my pride for you. With your capabilities and with the massive opportunities ahead, I’m confident that the best is yet to come. Thank you very much.

Please welcome Shannon Thomas.

Thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My name is Shannon Thomas. I am proud to be here, for one. It’s good to see a lot of faces that I know, and I’m excited for what’s going on this event. I am currently a second year apprentice, and I’m currently working for Emerald Electric. I am a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43. I was born and raised right here on the south side of Syracuse. Three years ago, I found myself laid off from what was a cable job. I was a technician, a cable technician. It was the height of the pandemic. I had three kids to take care of, bills to pay, and also loans to cover. I saw an ad for a program which was the Pathways to Apprenticeship.

(44:38)
This program led me straight to the IBEW, and that’s where I met good people like Al Marzullo, and he held me down and took care of me. It changed my life and gave my family a future. It provides security that I always wanted for my kids. And I got my son with me today, and I’m proud of that. I’ll always be grateful to my union and Local 43. I am so hopeful for my hometown, that this is happening, and I’m very excited. Thanks to Joe Biden for the advanced manufacturing jobs are coming back to America. Not only are they coming back to America, but they’re coming right back to our hometown. Micron’s mega campus will be built fully by unionized workforce. And not only that, but this will include thousands, thousands of my brothers and sisters that are with Local 43. And this will put our community on the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing, future projects, investments, and innovations.

(46:29)
We are grateful to all the state leaders, the local and federal team, who made it happen. Thank you. Special thanks to Micron for investing in America. And just to be gathered here today, we want to give a special thanks to President Biden. And just remember, he made this promise two years ago, and he kept his promise. And he promised to bring back infrastructure, he promised to bring back manufacturing, and not only that, he promised to bring back good paying union jobs. Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Biden keeps his promise. And with that being said, I have the honor to introduce our 46th president. So if we can all just stand up and get ready for him to come out, I would like to bring out our president of the United States, Joe Biden.

Hello. Hello. Hello. It’s good to be back in Syracuse. I fell in love with this place, but I fell in love with a girl before I did that. Please all have a seat. Shannon, thanks for that introduction and thank you for your brothers and sisters and the building trades, what they’re doing to help build a future here in Syracuse. Before I start, I want to take a moment to honor two officers, who I already mentioned, two fallen heroes who were killed in the line of duty this month. Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, County Sheriff Department, and Syracuse police officer, Michael Jensen. We pray for their loved ones whose hearts have been broken. Every time a police officer puts on that shield every morning, their husband or wife, whatever it is, or child worries about, will they get that phone call? Will they get that phone call? I got one of those phone calls in a different circumstance, find out you’ve lost part of your soul, lost part of your heart. For the entire Syracuse community is grieving and we’re grieving with you. To the men and women in law enforcement here and across the country, you represent the best of us. You really do. It’s one of the toughest jobs in America, one of the toughest jobs. And to the families, who I hope to get to meet shortly, I say, my heart goes out to you. Thank you and God bless you all.

(49:37)
Folks, I want to thank Governor Hochul for having us here today and for her partnership. And thanks to Chuck Schumer, a relentless advocate for this project we’re here to talk about today. County Executive McMahon, it’s good to be back in a place that meant so much to me in my life. I also want to thank Governor Little of Idaho and Boise Mayor McLean for joining us. Micron CEO, Sanjay, thank you for your leadership and investment in America. We try to entice you a little bit with a couple billions of dollars, which you can, and it seemed to work. And all the union leaders here, including Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers, thank you for showing the world that we can do big things again in America.

(50:29)
And all folks, all over the years, I’ve asked business leaders like Sanjay, because the other team kept criticizing me for wanting make these investments, things like the Infrastructure Bill, which is over a trillion dollars, and we have an infrastructure decade coming, last guy had infrastructure week and never showed up, but I asked him, “I was told that this is government intervention.” He said, “Sure in hell is.” I ask every business leader I know,

… it’s not a joke. When the federal government makes a multi billion-dollar investment in something does that encourage you or discourage you from getting engaged? Well, guess what? Every single solitary leader said overwhelmingly, “Yes,” it encouraged them to get engaged. And so that’s why we’re here today.

(51:18)
During the pandemic, folks, everyone learned about supply chains. You may remember we had a global shortage of semiconductors smaller than the tip of your finger, and now it’s even smaller than that, that would help power everything in our lives from smartphones to cars, to dishwashers, satellites.

(51:35)
We invented those chips here in America. We invented them. We made the move, we modernized them, but over time we stopped. We used to have 40% of this market, and over time we stopped making them. So when the pandemic shut down chip factory overseas, prices of everything went up at here at home.

(51:55)
That semiconductor shortage drove one-third of the surge in inflation in 2021. Caused long wait lines of all kinds of products. Folks, I determined that I’m never going to let us be vulnerable to wait lines again. Where it’s essential, we’re going to make it here in America and together… And by the way, that’s not hyperbole, that’s literal.

(52:22)
Together with Schumer leader and I, we took action to make sure these chips are made in America again creating tens of thousands and I mean tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Bringing prices down for everyone.

(52:35)
In 2022, together with leader Schumer, we wrote the CHIPS and Science Act. We used to invest significant amounts of money in research and development. We stopped doing it, but I was determined we’re going to do it again. It’s one of the most significant science and technology investments in our history.

(52:51)
Two months later, I came to Syracuse to celebrate Micron’s historic plan to build the biggest semiconductor manufacturing site in all of America. One of the biggest in the world. As was mentioned, it’s going to be the size of 40 football fields. 40. Big enough to fit four Carrier domes inside and still has space left over.

(53:11)
Today, I’m pleased to announce we’re building on that commitment with a landmark preliminary agreement between my administration and Micron, a major chip manufacturer, which is building these fabs here in upstate New York. 6.1 billion in chips funding paired with 125 billion from Micron to build these facilities here in New York and near Micron headquarters in Idaho.

(53:38)
By the way, it’s been mentioned before, it’s the single biggest private investment ever in the history of these two states, Idaho and New York. So, not far from here in Clay, New York is going to help build two to four manufacturing facilities planned by Micron’s mega labs. And Boise, Idaho is going to help build new high-volume manufacturing fabs as well.

(54:06)
In all, it’s going to create over 70,000 jobs across both states, at least 9,000 of which are construction jobs. 11,000 manufacturing jobs. Tens of thousands more up and down the supply chain. And it includes 9,000 permanent Micron manufacturing jobs right here in Clay. Not here, but near, in Clay, just a little bit from here. Many of them paying, and catch this, 100,000 dollars a year, and it doesn’t require a college degree. These projects are governed by the largest project labor agreement in the state’s history. It makes sure that work is done on time with the highest quality and most significant safety standards.

(54:56)
And I’m pleased that Micron is planning to sit down with unions to discuss labor peace. Look, that’s not all. And by the way, I know I get criticized for being the most pro-union president in American history, but guess what? The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class.

(55:21)
These new brand new facilities are going to produce the most sophisticated, powerful leading edge memory chips in the entire world. Each one has trillions, not billions, not millions, trillions of tiny features. Each 4,000 times thinner than a single hair on your head. And I got some very thin hair on my head.

(55:43)
They require manufacturing precision down to the size of an atom. They process enormous amounts of information at lightning speed, and they’re critical to the emerging technologies will power tomorrow’s economy like artificial intelligence and advanced communications. They’ll make everyday things faster, lighter, smaller, and more reliable, and it’s about time.

(56:09)
Even though America invented these advanced chips, we don’t make any of them today. Zero. Zero. All manufacturing of leading edge chips moved to Asia years ago. That’s why today this is such a big deal, and it is a big deal. We’re bringing advanced chips manufacturing back to America after 40 years, and it’s going to transform our semiconductor industry, a pillar of a modern economy.

(56:33)
It’s going to create an entirely new ecosystem in research, design, manufacturing of advanced chips here in America. Folks, where is it written when I said we were going to become the manufacturing capital of the world again, when I got elected? They looked at me, some of my friends and said, “You’re crazy.”

(56:51)
Well, where the heck is it written that American manufacturing will not be the capital of the world again? It’s going to be. We’ve already created nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs since I took office, and folk, we’re just getting started. And that’s a fact, we’re just getting started.

(57:09)
It isn’t just about investing in America, it’s about investing in the American people as well and that includes training folks for these high paying jobs. Highly skilled new jobs that we’re creating. To do that we’re bringing employers, unions, community colleges, high schools together, and workforce hubs where folks can learn the skills hands-on.

(57:40)
My wife, Jill, cares a lot about this as well. She’s teaching at a community college right now. Last year she announced our first five workforce hubs in the United States in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Baltimore, Columbus, Ohio, and Augusta, Georgia. Thousands of workers will be trained in these facilities.

(57:57)
Today, I’m pleased to announce four new hub programs. One hub in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan where folks will make electric cars. Another hub in Philadelphia. One in Milwaukee will train workers. They will replace every poisonous lead pipe in America within the decade. And here in Syracuse, the Syracuse region, a new hub. We’re going to train semiconductor workers for the future.

(58:25)
I know that Micron is also partnering with American Federation of Teachers to develop technology curriculum for high schools and New York State. Think about it. Those of you who are as young as me, in your 40s or so, how many schools still have shop in them? Where you learn how to work with your hands. A significant number of public schools did away with it.

(58:48)
So many young people who were qualified and want to and were capable of working and never know that they have that capacity. Well, I want to thank Randy and Sanjay for their work and Micron’s leadership and workforce development because it’s going to make a big difference.

(59:05)
And all so far, my Investing in America agenda has attracted more than $825 billion, $825 billion in private sector investment. Not a penny of which existed before I got elected. It ignited a manufacturing boom, a clean energy boom, a semiconductor boom nationwide. And it’s clear we have the strongest economy in the world, and that’s a fact.

(59:35)
15 million new jobs created in three and a half years. Unemployment hasn’t been this low for this long, for 50 years. Wages are rising. Instead of importing foreign products, we’re exporting them and exporting American jobs. We’re exporting American products and creating American jobs. Here in America where they belong. But folks, my predecessor and his MAGA Republican friends have a very different view. They oppose the CHIPS and Science Act that’s powering this growth today. In fact, your congressman, Brandon Williams called it corporate welfare.

Boo.

Bless me, father. And Elise Stefanik, a few counties over called the CHIPS Act, she said, “Was Washington at its worst,” end of quote. I guess they’re not going to be here today to celebrate. But now… Conversion is wonderful, isn’t it? Now they’ve seen the massive surge in investment in jobs that we’ve mobilized and they’re singing a different tune now. Now they say, “This is critical.” You got that? Stefanik says, “This is critical.” Now they say what we’re doing will quote, “Lead to more prosperous, secure, and innovative America.”

(01:01:03)
Well, there’s nothing, I said, like conversion. I agree. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Folks, look, we got to stop this division. I promised to be president for all of America, whether you voted for me or not. Today’s investment helps Americans everywhere in red states and blue states. And proof that we leave no one behind of the infrastructure jobs and proposals, we have more of them in red states than in blue states. It’s about America.

(01:01:32)
Let me close with this. The past few years I’ve talked to folks all across America in their communities and at their kitchen tables. They often tell me, back in 2020, they were down. They lost their business. How many did you know somebody worked to carry another facility and a whole generation who worked there?

(01:01:51)
You’re sitting there as a parent and your mom and a kid that comes home, well-educated says, “I can’t live here anymore, there no jobs. I got to move. I got to move.” They lost faith. Syracuse is a good example. For decades, decades, it was a manufacturing boom town full of good-paying jobs and a solid path to the middle class.

(01:02:15)
I know, I lived here. I went to law school here. I married a wonderful woman from [inaudible 01:02:21], Indianapolis. That’s why I came to Syracuse Law School. I felt it. But over the years, trickle-down economics swept it all away. Under my predecessor, manufacturers left.

(01:02:33)
Factories like BCS Automotive over in Auburn where her family lived, shut down. 22,000 local jobs disappeared in the Syracuse region. That’s the story seen in community after community nationwide. Hollowed out, robbed of hope. But not on my watch. Thanks to investing we’re making in America and the partnerships we formed, America manufacturing is back.

(01:03:03)
New factories are going up all across the country, and communities like Syracuse are writing a great American comeback story. That’s what it is a comeback story. Creating new jobs, new businesses, new hope. Today, folks, when folks see shovels in the ground on these projects, people going back to work. I hope they feel the pride that I feel.

(01:03:27)
Pride in their hometown is making a comeback. Pride in America. Pride in knowing we can get big things done when we work together. That’s why I’ve never been more optimistic about this nation’s future. We just have to remember who we are for God’s sake. We’re the United States of America and there’s nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity to get done when we work together.

(01:03:50)
God bless you all and may God protect our truth. This is a big-deal day. Congratulations, Syracuse. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you.