CHICAGO – Leading New York officials, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, shined a spotlight on Syracuse and Central New York at a state delegation breakfast Tuesday morning.
“Because of the infrastructure law, New York has the biggest public works project ever in the country, the great gateway,” Schumer said. “We have focused on I-81 in Syracuse … We’ve done a great deal in transportation, but maybe the thing that’s had the greatest effect on New York is the CHIPS and Science Act. 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.
Congress passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act in 2022. The law provided about $52 billion worth of incentives to lure computer chip makers to the United States.. According to a statement from Micron, the statute supports Micron’s plans to invest $50 billion in gross capital expenditures through 2030.
Schumer went on to discuss the historic lack of job opportunities in Central New York. But he 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 are making I-90 the semiconductor superhighway in America. One-quarter of all the chips made in America will be made within a couple of 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 instilled optimism among students and communities.
“One of my students said, ‘What just happened with Micron in Syracuse was giving people real hope,’ ” Weingarten said. “This is a graduate student … talking about what is going on because of the CHIPS Act in Syracuse and how it’s going to change Syracuse. That’s what Joe Biden did for America. That’s what Joe Biden did for New York.”
Weingarten continued her speech by mentioning the pivotal NY22 congressional race between Republican Rep. Brandon Williams and John Mannion:
“This is not going to be easy,” she said.
Schumer also nodded to Mannion’s bid to represent New York’s 22nd Congressional District. The race for NY22 is among the most critical races in the nation as Democrats angle to secure a majority in the House.
“The energy is now surging through our party from the grassroots to the highest levels,” Schumer said. “John Mannion is going to win.”
Among the other speakers were Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Pat Ryan, former Rep. Mondaire Jones and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Reflecting the overarching tone of the convention, the message among speakers at the delegation breakfast was clear: optimism and unity, particularly among New Yorkers.
“I have never felt a convention with more optimism, with more strength, with more determination and with more hope,” Schumer said to a cheering crowd. “New York’s going to be a focal point, as we always are, so we have to take seriously our responsibility to see that, to set the tone and set the example for the rest of the nation.”
Samantha Olander is a junior journalism student at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. She is part of a group of student journalists providing coverage of 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 providing coverage of the DNC for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.
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