Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for comments the Republican made Friday suggesting lawmakers could repeal the CHIPS and Science Act.
Walz said repealing the law, which was passed under President Joe Biden to increase investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, would jeopardize hundreds of jobs in Georgia and put the US behind China in economic competitiveness.
“Two days ago, Speaker Johnson suggested that if Trump wins this thing, they’re going to go back and repeal the CHIPS and Science Act, defunding — listen to this, defunding 115,000 jobs that are already working in manufacturing and construction, including 1,200 good paying jobs right here in Georgia,” the Minnesota governor said.
Johnson has since walked back his comments, saying in a statement to CNN that the law is “not on the agenda for repeal.”
On Sunday, Walz framed Johnson’s original comment in the context of Trump’s other economic policy plans, specifically pointing to his proposal to plan to increase tariffs on imports. Walz criticized the plan and called into question Trump’s business acumen while taking a swipe at his age.
“Donald hates it when we remind him that he’s almost 80 years old. He’s almost 80 years old, and in that 80 years, you would have thought he would have learned how a tariff works,” Walz said.
