A coalition of business advocacy organizations from across New York is imploring the state’s congressional delegation to oppose any efforts in Washington to weaken or repeal the CHIPS and Science Act. 

In a letter sent to the delegation Monday, the president of the Business Council of New York State and the leaders of 10 other New York-based organizations wrote that the Biden-era law is “already creating jobs and driving economic growth across New York, and its impact will only increase in the coming years.”

“To step back now would be a grave mistake,” they wrote. All told, they claim the law will support roughly a half million jobs across New York by 2030, including creating more than 100,000 new positions.

The new letter was first shared with Spectrum News NY1.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the law throughout his first 100 days back in the Oval Office, calling it “horrible” and urging lawmakers to “get rid of” it during his joint address to Congress in March.

He called the law a waste of money, claiming he has been able to bring new business to the U.S. without the law’s subsidies. He has also touted tariffs as a way to motivate companies to move their manufacturing stateside.

The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in 2022 by then-President Joe Biden. The legislation, which received bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, was crafted with the aim of boosting the domestic production of semiconductors.

In New York, the law is credited with helping stir extensive economic investments across the state, including Micron’s planned $100 billion semiconductor factory just outside of Syracuse. 

In the letter, the business advocates cite several other examples as well, including expansions at the GlobalFoundries facility in Malta and at Corning Industries facility in Canton, plus an investment at the Edwards Vacuum manufacturing plant in the Finger Lakes — all investments tied to the semiconductor supply chain.

In an interview, Heather Mulligan, the president of the Business Council of New York State, expressed confidence that the “full delegation is supportive of the projects in New York,” noting that some Republicans have recently signed on to legislation to streamline environmental permitting for major projects like the Micron plant in the Syracuse region.