Rep. Sykes Rejects Claim that Bipartisan CHIPS Act is ‘Horrible’ for the Country
Billions of dollars of CHIPS Act investments maintains competitiveness for communities in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s suggestion that Congress should repeal or otherwise diminish the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which invests in projects to support Ohio's growing electric vehicle, battery, and other advanced manufacturing industries. Earlier this year, Rep. Sykes (OH-13) announced the Greater Akron Chamber will receive a $3 million federal grant through the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Good Jobs Challenge for their Advanced Polymer and Manufacturing Excellence (APEX) project. This investment was made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act.
"The CHIPS and Science Act has been a major kickstart for our economy in Ohio 13 and projects like the Akron Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub are being funded by it,” said Rep. Sykes. “Its repeal would undermine the work of small businesses in the area who are eager to lead in innovation and create opportunities for their employees. Repealing the CHIPS and Science Act would have a direct negative impact on Ohio’s 13th district and I will stand in the way of anyone who attempts to undermine our local economy.”
APEX will create accessible career pathways in the polymer sector by leveraging a partnership of employers, educational institutions, industry labs, and community and labor organizations to design and implement sector strategies for training and placing workers into good jobs. This project will advance the Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub, which EDA designated as a Tech Hub in 2023.
In September, Rep. Sykes wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce to support the Good Jobs Challenge proposal submitted by the Greater Akron Chamber. The initiative will address the significant skills gap within the polymer manufacturing sector, enabling the region to fully leverage its capabilities by creating equitable career pathways across the polymer value chain. It will support the Akron Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub by recruiting, training, upskilling, supporting, and placing workers in polymer industry careers. While primarily targeting Portage, Stark, Summit, and Wayne Counties, the initiative also aims to impact surrounding Northeast Ohio counties.
Rep. Sykes led the charge to bring a Tech Hub to Northeast Ohio from the very beginning. In August 2023, Rep. Sykes sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castiillo in support of the Greater Akron Chamber’s application for funding under the EDA’s first phase of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act.
After the EDA announced the Akron Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub as one of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs across the country, Rep. Sykes penned a letter to then-U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the Economic Development Administration in support of Akron’s Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub Phase 2 application. Rep. Sykes also joined a separate letter in support of Akron’s application with members of the Ohio delegation, including the-Senator Sherrod Brown, U.S. Representatives Max Miller (R-OH-07), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Mike Carey (R-OH-15), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and David Joyce (R-OH-14).