CHICAGO – New York leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, shone a spotlight on Syracuse and Central New York at a state delegation breakfast Tuesday morning.
“Because of the infrastructure bill, New York has the largest public works project ever, the big gate,” Schumer said. “We focused on I-81 in Syracuse… We’ve done a lot in the transportation area, but perhaps the CHIPS and Science Act has had the biggest impact on New York. Hello Syracuse, hello Central New York, how about Micron?”
Schumer mentioned the jobs promised by the Micron Technology deal and the improved transportation routes through Syracuse due to the I-81 viaduct project.
The Biden-Harris administration passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act in 2022. The federal law provides $280 billion to boost research and manufacturing of semiconductor microchips. According to a statement from Micron, the law supports Micron’s plans to invest $50 billion in gross capital expenditures by 2030.
Schumer went on to talk about the historic lack of jobs in Central New York, but expressed optimism that the New York State Thruway will serve as a major transportation route for semiconductor microchips.
“Jobs had left us, and it was a sad sight,” he said. “But now … we’re making I-90 the semiconductor highway of America. A quarter of all the chips made in America are made within a few miles of I-90 – in Buffalo, in Rochester, in Syracuse, in Utica, in Albany.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said Micron has inspired optimism among students and the community.
“One of my students said, ‘What just happened with Micron in Syracuse has given people real hope,'” Weingarten said. “Here’s a graduate student … talking about what’s happening in Syracuse because of the CHIPS Act and how it’s going to change Syracuse. This is what Joe Biden did for America. This is what Joe Biden did for New York.”
Weingarten continued her speech by mentioning the crucial congressional race in NY22 between Republican Representative Brandon Williams and John Mannion:
“It won’t be easy,” she said.
Schumer also gave a nod to Mannion’s bid for New York’s 22nd Congressional District. The race for NY22 is one of the most important races in the country as Democrats try to gain a majority in the House of Representatives.
“The energy is now flowing through our party from the grassroots to the highest levels,” Schumer said. “John Mannion will win.”
Other speakers included Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Pat Ryan, former Rep. Mondaire Jones and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. The message from the speakers at the delegation breakfast was clear and reflected the overarching tone of the convention: optimism and unity, especially among New Yorkers.
“I have never seen a convention that has been more optimistic, more vigorous, more determined, more hopeful,” Schumer told a cheering crowd. “New York will be a flashpoint as always, so we must take seriously our responsibility to pay attention, to set the tone and to set an example for the rest of the nation.”
Samantha Olander is a junior in journalism at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. She is part of a group of student journalists covering the DNC for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.
Anna Ginelli is a senior journalism student at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. She is part of a group of student journalists covering the DNC for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.
