COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thanks to the bipartisan CHIPS Act, tech giant Intel chose to invest billions in Ohio to develop a massive semiconductor manufacturing plant. But during a speech President Donald Trump gave Tuesday night, he urged Congress to repeal it.

This exclamation set off concerns inside the Statehouse, especially for people who worked closely to get Intel to the Buckeye State. But a repeal would require enough votes from the U.S. House and Senate. Do they have enough votes?

Well, of Ohio’s congressional delegation who responded to me, U.S. Senator Jon Husted was the only member to speak in total support of the CHIPS Act.

Here’s what’s happening on the ground — and in D.C.

A bit of context

The CHIPS Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022, authorized more than $50 billion in subsidies for creating semiconductors, or chips.

Semiconductors are the chips behind e-commerce, social media, cars, computers, and everything that utilizes digital technology, which nowadays is just about everything.

Intel, working with Ohio’s congressional delegation and other members of the federal government, said it would invest in the state if the CHIPS Act was passed.

The company promised Central Ohio at least $20 billion, now nearly $30 billion, for a plant that would create tens of thousands of jobs.

The immediate economic impact was supposed to be major, especially for Licking County. The plant was supposed to create 3,000 longer-term, higher-paying jobs, 7,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of additional jobs. The highest profile were the researchers and facility workers making the chips.

Ohio’s top politicians have celebrated this extensively since this is a historic investment into not just the state but the entire country.

“It will determine how Ohio fulfills the promise of becoming the center of high-tech manufacturing in America,” U.S. Senator Jon Husted, who was then lieutenant governor, said during the groundbreaking in 2022. “So our children and grandchildren will never have to look beyond Ohio for great career opportunities.”

But then came the troubles.

Intel had been stuck in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The tech company continued to delay construction multiple times due to this.

Finally, its long-awaited $1.5 billion wasn’t awarded until late November 2024. Intel had been approved to get roughly $8 billion total.

Even after receiving the money, Intel has been facing financial issues.

Intel’s stock has dropped more than 50% in the last year while the industry has grown more than 120%. After spending 25 years on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Intel was replaced on the index by Nvidia, a leader in artificial intelligence, in late Nov. The company also had mass layoffs in October, cutting 15,000 jobs, slashing its workforce by 15%.

Some officials in Ohio have privately worried that Intel will become another ‘Foxconn’ scandal. In 2023, Ohio-based Lordstown Motors filed for bankruptcy and sued international manufacturer Foxconn for failing to live up to and follow through on their massive investment deal.

Just at the end of February, Intel once again delayed.

More worries as Intel, once again, delays massive Ohio chipmaking plant

Trump causes a tidal wave

“This was going to be the Silicon Heartland,” Mike Knisley with the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council told me.

But could this Central Ohio worksite revert back to dust?

“This will be a huge setback for Ohio,” he said. “It’s just so disappointing, Morgan, on so many different levels, [like] from a standpoint of national defense.”

Knisely has worked closely for years with Intel, the members of Congress and state politicians in order to push the CHIPS Act forward.

But the future of the project is now being questioned by Trump.

“Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” the president said during his speech to Congress Tuesday night.

During his speech, Trump lamented how the companies aren’t spending the money — funds they are only starting to receive over the past couple of months.

“You should get rid of the CHIPS Act,” he continued. “And whatever’s left over, Mr. Speaker, you should use it to reduce debt, or any other reason you want to.”

He claimed that the companies don’t really care about anything except not paying tariffs.

“They will come because they won’t have to pay tariffs if they build in America,” he said.

Knisely was appalled.

“Grandpa’s lost his mind,” he said, noting that he was fine being quoted saying that. “Really, at the end of the day, whose side are you really on here?”

State Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), who has been skeptical of Intel’s continual delays from the start, is also panicked.

“Are we ever going to see Intel built?” he said. “Millions and millions and hundreds of millions of dollars and we might get nothing but a white elephant with holes in the ground.”

Governor Mike DeWine and the state have already given billions to subsidize the project. Knisely added that the unions and colleges have been training workers. Cities have also been a part of the progress — Columbus especially, including the effort to build better transportation from the site to the heart of downtown.

“What does this say to the taxpayer of Ohio?” I asked the lawmaker.

“I think it says to the taxpayer that you don’t matter,” he replied.

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said the Biden administration “dragged” their feet on getting the money out.

“The CHIPS Act funding should have been out a while ago,” McColley said. “Now I think the point the president was trying to make is that his ideas towards economic development are a little bit different.”

Trump would be “much more willing” to add tariffs to these types of products, as opposed to direct subsidies, the lawmaker added.

When I followed up and asked if he would be in favor of repealing it, he said because he doesn’t have a vote in the matter, it doesn’t matter what he thinks.

“I think our delegation is paying attention to see where this thing goes and we’ll see where it ends up,” he continued.

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) was less defensive of the president than McColley. Instead, he wondered what would happen to the remaining money that has already been allocated to Intel.

“I find it hard to believe that the money is just going to get pulled and somehow would imperil the project,” the speaker said.

If something does happen to the money, that will then fall on Intel to stay loyal to Ohio.

“Certainly I, like everybody else, I’d like for this thing to go full steam ahead and they build all 10 sections and they spend their $100 billion,” Huffman said about Intel. “But I don’t think they’re going to walk away from the $2.3 billion they’ve already spent in structure and all of that.”

Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) said it’s possible Trump didn’t actually mean a full repeal.

“It might not be a wholesale elimination of it, maybe downgrading it a bit,” Cirino said. “But I think that we’re still gonna see Intel come here.”

Cirino doesn’t want to repeal the CHIPS Act but said that he would have to go back and take a look at it to see if something could be “fixed” so it could be better.

“There are so many other good reasons to come to Ohio, and they decided to come here before the CHIPS Act was even enacted,” he added.

The governor’s team insists that Intel will continue their promise.

“When Intel announced the New Albany project, they committed to it whether the CHIPS Act was passed or not,” DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said in a statement. “The company remains committed to onshoring its manufacturing, which aligns with President Trump’s semiconductor strategy and onshoring strategy. Until a firm proposal moves through Congress, it is prudent to reserve comment until more details are known.”

Knisely doesn’t buy this.

“Right out of the gate, Morgan, CHIPS was part of this whole equation,” he said.

Intel even delayed the groundbreaking ceremony because the CHIPS Act wasn’t signed.

I reached out to each of Ohio’s Republican members of Congress to comment, and I asked each how they would vote on a repeal effort.

Not a single one answered my direct question of how they would vote.

U.S. Senator Jon Husted

Husted has been the face of Intel in Ohio.

In a statement, he said:

“The CHIPS Act was a major bipartisan piece of legislation to pass recently, and I am confident bipartisan support remains. For the economic and national security of America, we need to make chips in the USA—I believe this is part of an America First agenda. Making chips in places like Ohio will make sure that China doesn’t win.”

Although he didn’t address the voting question, he gave the clearest answer that he supports the CHIPS Act.

Congressman Dave Joyce, OH-14

“Domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research allows the United States to be independent from our adversaries and Intel’s Ohio One project is designed to help us do just that. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration dropped the ball by failing to implement the CHIPS Act efficiently and effectively, putting our nation’s national security at risk. In Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues and the administration to improve our domestic semiconductor supply chain.”

Congressman Michael Rulli, OH-06

“I’ve supported boosting domestic production of semiconductors and Ohio’s Intel project from the beginning. While the Biden approach mandated DEI hiring and other woke giveaways, President Trump’s economic agenda will invigorate American industry without the endless red tape.

Monday’s announcement that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is investing another $100 billion to expand its U.S. operations shows just how effective President Trump’s leadership has already been. I’ll be working with federal, state, and local governments to push for these manufacturing facilities to come to our state—especially the 6th district. President Trump’s America First agenda is simple: manufacturing should happen here, and high-paying jobs should go to American workers first.”

Congressman Troy Balderson, OH-12

“Intel made a commitment to Ohio and to our kids. The Ohio One project promised to be full speed ahead, regardless of supplemental federal funding—while passage of the CHIPS Act would allow Intel to ‘go faster and further.’ Unfortunately, the Biden Administration completely botched the rollout and implementation of the CHIPS Act, sabotaging Congress’s mandate to onshore chipmaking and strengthen national security. Intel made it clear from the outset that they would make a historic investment in Ohio with or without the CHIPS Act, and Ohioans fully expect them to keep their promise.”

Remaining members

Congressman Dave Taylor, OH-02, and his team responded but declined to comment.

The remaining, including Senator Bernie Moreno and U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, Bob Latta, Max Miller, Warren Davidson, Mike Turner and Mike Carey never replied.

“I think it’s now a time for everyone — corporations, politicians, everyday Americans — to show some spine,” Knisely said.

Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.