Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Joins President Biden and Majority Leader Schumer to Make a CHIPS Announcement

Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Joins President Biden and Majority Leader Schumer to Make a CHIPS Announcement

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated the up to $6.1 billion investment by the Biden-Harris administration's Department of Commerce in Micron Technology, which will be dramatically expanding its domestic memory chip manufacturing in the United States, and the announcement by President Biden that Upstate New York will be designated as a National Workforce Hub. Both federal and state incentives were essential to secure Micron's $100 billion investment in the White Pine Industrial Park in the town of Clay in Onondaga County - one of the largest economic development projects in U.S. history. This federal funding through the CHIPS and Science Act builds upon $5.5 billion in performance-based Green CHIPS incentives provided by New York State that are directly tied to Micron creating 9,000 new direct jobs, investing $100 billion in New York State, and achieving the Green CHIPS community benefits package and sustainability standards for their Clay facility. In total, the project is expected to create nearly 50,000 jobs statewide, including an average of 5,600 construction jobs per year paying federal prevailing wage. When complete, the complex will include the nation's largest clean room space at approximately 2.4 million square feet, grow domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and enhance our national security by expanding the United States' chipmaking capacity. Additionally, Micron's commitment to New York State builds on Governor Hochul's successful efforts to establish New York State as a global hub for semiconductor research and manufacturing in the newly enacted FY 2025 Enacted Budget.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good afternoon, everyone. 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.

Well, this much anticipated day has finally arrived. Yes - 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.

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 time. And you start to give up hope. You question - are our better days really behind us? You know businesses left - empty factories became symbolic of the community. Families left - my family left - families here left because there were no jobs. Unemployment went up, and hope washed away. And yet, this community never ever gave up on itself. They always believed. The belief in their people, in 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. Oh, so they were ready. They were hungry. They were excited. And we never believed that it would happen so soon and 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.

And what brought us to this day? A growth-oriented company with a clear vision for 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.

And 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's joined us.

Let me throw out a number, my friends - one hundred billion dollars. 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 are 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.

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.

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 rockstar. 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.

So, from the moment the President signed the CHIPS and Science Acts 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're the first ones to go 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. 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, 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. 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.

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.

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 dollars from the State of New York, $6.1 billion dollars from the federal government, $5.2 billion dollars from Onondaga County. That's worth the investment to get over $100 billion dollars, don't you think? I think that's a good return on our money.

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.

You'll hear from representatives from Micron about all the things they're doing - the child care, the apprenticeship programs, the investment 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 childcare. No more. We're calling on companies, step up and do your part. Micron said, of course you 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.

Let me close. I believe in this State. I believe we are on the cusp of greatness. I believe this part of this State for too long has 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 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. It will forever be changed because of you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

Contact the Governor's Press Office