Republicans ‘probably’ will try to repeal CHIPS Act that drew Micron to Central NY, House speaker says

House Republicans will “probably” try to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act, the bill Micron Technology is relying on to bring a massive factory to Central New York, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters in Syracuse Friday.
A reporter asked Johnson whether Republicans would repeal the bill if former President Donald Trump is elected and the GOP wins a majority in the House.
“I suspect that we probably will, but we haven’t developed that part of the agenda yet,” Johnson said. “We got to get over the election first.”
Johnson spoke about the bill after a political rally in Syracuse’s CNY Regional Market to support Rep. Brandon Williams, who is running for his second term as representative for New York’s 22nd district.
Ninety minutes after those comments, Williams sent a news release trying to walk back the statement. The release said Johnson misheard the question.
Donald Trump last week criticized the CHIPS bill on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, although he stopped short of saying he’d try to undo it. His comments raised worries that his reelection could mean further stalls to funding for the Micron project and other chip plants in the U.S.
Micron stands to receive $20 billion from the CHIPS Act to build two fabrication plants, or fabs, to produce memory chips in the town of Clay over the next decade. The company said it wouldn’t build in the U.S. without the CHIPS Act subsidies.
Experts say Trump could rewrite regulations for a tax credit that would benefit chip makers and could slow funding for infrastructure needed for the Micron project.
At his news conference, Johnson said his main issue is how much has been “crammed” into the bill, including energy provisions. The CHIPS Act includes sections that support research on greenhouse gas emissions and climate systems. Taking the energy provisions “out of the equation” would save trillions of dollars, Johnson said.
“We’re going to support chip manufacturers. We do not support the Green New Deal,” Johnson said. “When you separate those two things, that makes it a whole lot simpler.”
Johnson’s comments created an awkward moment for Williams, who was standing next to the speaker and is facing a tough re-election effort.
At the news conference, Williams voiced his support for the act, calling it “hugely impactful” to the region.
“I will remind [Johnson] night and day how important the CHIPS Act is, and that we break ground on Micron,” Williams said.
In the release from the Williams campaign, Johnson is quoted as supporting the act’s incentives for chipmakers:
“As I have further explained and clarified, I fully support Micron coming to Central NY, and the CHIPS Act is not on the agenda for repeal. To the contrary, there could be legislation to further streamline and improve the primary purpose of the bill — to eliminate its costly regulations and Green New Deal requirements.”
Williams is quoted in the release this way: “I spoke privately with the speaker immediately after the event. He apologized profusely, saying he misheard the question.”
Still, the damage was done. Williams’ opponent jumped on the statement.
“Once again, voters in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley are seeing Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Brandon Williams for who they are – extremists who want to repeal the law that is bringing billions of dollars and tens of thousands of good paying jobs to Central New York and the Mohawk Valley,” said state Sen. John Mannion, a Democrat.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ X account posted Johnson’s comments for its 1.4 million followers.
Maggie Hicks covers education, including the Syracuse City School District and Syracuse University. She can be reached at [email protected] or follow her on X @maggie_hickss.