Upstate New York officials and business leaders are cheering the U.S. Senate's approval of a measure to fund semiconductor manufacturing and production in an effort to boost competition with China. 

The bill will head to the U.S. House of Representatives next for consideration. 

Approval of the legislation could aid parts of upstate New York that have bet on chip manufacturing for growing jobs in a region that has struggled to retain younger people and seen a decline in population over the last decades. 

In central New York, Democratic state Sen. John Mannion pointed to efforts to secure a chip manufacturer in Onondaga County, while also touting state efforts to encourage development of the sector. 

"From our workforce and schools to our infrastructure, airport, and quality of life – Central New York is ready for this generational opportunity and the thousands of quality jobs it will bring," he said. "I am proud to have been the prime co-sponsor on the Green Chips legislation that provides $500 million in additional funding to support computer chip manufacturing in the state."

In the Capital Region, officials at the state and federal level have continued to lavish attention on the Albany Nanotech Complex and SUNY Polytechnic Institute as chip maker GlobalFoundries in Saratoga County has helped boost the Northway corridor in the region. Both stand to benefit with the approval of the funding.

“The Senate’s passage of the CHIPS bill is an encouraging step for investing more resources into the semiconductor field. The pandemic proved this industry to be vital to manufacturers while also exposing the need for more dependence,” said Heather Briccetti Mulligan, the president and CEO of the New York Business Council. “Through the strong partnerships of our well-established college programs and successful private sector businesses, New York State has both the talent and assets in place to use federal funds to expand the industry and continue growing jobs."

In the House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. John Katko, a Republican, encouraged his colleagues to back the legislation as a way of helping solve supply chain issues. 

"Let’s pass this bill for communities like mine and show that Congress is working to ensure the future is made in America," Katko said. "Let’s pass this bill for high school students who are interested in advanced manufacturing and show them that the jobs of the future are theirs."