Senate Passes Massive Tech, Trade Bill Aimed At China

Holly Fechner spoke with Law360 about a recently passed Senate bill funding $200 billion for semiconductors, telecom equipment, and scientific research. According to Holly, aside from the semiconductor subsidies and the $1.5 billion for telecom, the remaining approximately $150 billion in the bill is merely authorized and still depends on approval through the congressional appropriations process.

She adds that House leaders “want to put their own stamp on it,” with Democrats pursuing a broader bill that might touch on cybersecurity, climate change, and societal inequalities. “There is bipartisan, bicameral support to invest significantly in research in the United States to allow us to compete globally. The real challenge is an agreement on exactly how to do that,” she says.