Area House members had mixed reactions to legislation the House recently passed to incentivize computer chip manufacturing in the United States.

The legislation, known as the Chips and Science Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 28 by a vote of 243-187.

Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who voted for the legislation, said the legislation will make domestic computer chip manufacturers more competitive on the global market and lead to lower retail prices for those who buy devices that contain computer chips.

“It’s a major response to and a solution for inflation,” Tonko said in a Twitter post.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said she was a co-sponsor of the original version of the legislation, but voted against the Senate version because the cost was too high and because it did not include adequate protections to prevent federal funding from being used to benefit China.

“As the first co-sponsor and the first New York House member to support the original CHIPS bill, written specifically to support and strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry, it is unconscionable that Democrat Chuck Schumer would balloon this bill to $287 billion, weaken its guardrails to allow taxpayer dollars to flow to China, and tie it to Senate Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend inflation bill filled with painful tax hikes on hardworking families,” she said in a statement.

The press office for Schumer, who is the Senate majority leader, had not responded to a request on Wednesday to comment, as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The legislation, which the Senate had already approved, provides federal grants for opening or expanding chip manufacturing and tax credits to encourage investment in chip manufacturing.

In other political news from the region:

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Bail reform

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Republican state Assembly candidate David Catalfamo on Wednesday reiterated his call for the Legislature to immediately hold a special session to discuss bail reform, and he released a five-point plan to address criminal justice issues.

The plan calls for judges to have increased leeway to set cash bail if the suspect is considered potentially dangerous, and to allow the judges and courts to hold without bail any suspect considered to be a danger to his or her self or to others.

His plan further calls for revising laws to protect the identity of witnesses, to elevate the crime of assaulting a police officer from a Class B to a Class A felony, and passing legislation that state Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, introduced to repeal the HALT Act, which prohibits long-term solitary confinement in state correctional facilities.

Catalfamo, an economic development official and novelist from Wilton, is challenging four-term incumbent Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake.

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Woerner legislation

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State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, announced that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Woerner introduced to conduct a public awareness campaign to promote acceptance of people with developmental disabilities.

“Every New Yorker deserves to be treated with respect and dignity,” Woerner said in a July 29 press release.

Woerner said in a follow-up telephone interview that the state Office of Developmental Disabilities will prepare public service announcements to place in newspapers and on television.

She said the cost will be nominal.

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Joy endorsements

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Republican congressional candidate Liz Joy announced two new endorsements — New York Teenage Republicans on July 29, and Dutchess County Executive and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Marcus Molinaro on Tuesday.

“Liz Joy is the right candidate at the right time. She is a friend and one of the hardest-working people I know. Liz will make an outstanding member of Congress who will always look out for the residents of her district,” said Molinaro, who is the Republican candidate in the 19th Congressional District.

Joy is running in the 20th Congressional District, where Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, is the incumbent.

Rostilav Rar, an immigration lawyer from Albany, is challenging Tonko in an Aug. 23 Democratic primary.

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Conservative endorsement

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Republican and Conservative state Supreme Court justice candidate Allison McGahay announced that the Warren County Conservative Committee has endorsed her candidacy.

McGahay, a lawyer from Lake Placid, is a former Essex County assistant district attorney and is a former Essex County Republican elections commissioner.

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Amtrak

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U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, on Tuesday reiterated her call for Amtrak to resume operation of its Adirondack line between New York City and Montreal, which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since May, my office has been in conversations with Amtrak to reopen the Adirondack line immediately,” Stefanik posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

Telehealth

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming may be at odds with Republican colleagues over her role on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Still, most Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, voted on July 27 to pass legislation Cheney introduced to extend through Dec. 31, 2024, a COVID-19 Medicare policy providing increased flexibility in the use of telehealth physician consultations with patients via videoconferencing.

The legislation passed by a vote of 419-12, with 11 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it, according to the Library of Congress government information website.

Every member of New York’s House delegation voted in favor.