Raimondo Instructs Staff To Fund Projects
It’s a whirlwind at the Commerce Department, as Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, pushes her staff into overdrive to spend $53 billion in CHIPS Act funds before a potential Trump administration takes the reins.
Her directive to allocate funds at breakneck speed has drawn sharp criticism, especially from Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who labeled the approach as reckless in a scathing letter. Ernst highlighted the risks of rushed spending, citing the staggering $280 billion lost to fraud in prior relief programs, and called for a pause in the spending spree.
Raimondo’s urgency stems from the need to lock in deals with major chip manufacturers like Intel, Micron, and Samsung. Yet, the process has been anything but smooth, slowed down by requirements tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies embedded in the CHIPS Act. These provisions, including mandates for hiring plans focused on minority groups and even former convicts, have sparked contention.
Critics argue that such measures detract from the core goal of bolstering U.S. semiconductor independence. Republicans have pushed to strip away these add-ons, asserting that efficiency and self-reliance should be the program’s primary objectives.
ABC Reporter: Nearly a million jobs “created” since Kamala took office doesn’t exist
US Sec of Commerce Raimondo: “I don’t believe it because I’ve never heard Trump say anything truthful”
ABC: It’s from the Bureau of Labor.
Raimondo: “I’m not familiar with that.”
The US Sec… pic.twitter.com/Y8KVMI3uqL
— 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 (@chiIIum) August 22, 2024
Beyond the microchip push, Raimondo has also faced criticism for her political maneuvering. Her comment after an attempt on Trump’s life—”Let’s extinguish him for good”—drew significant backlash for its tone.
And her skepticism of her administration’s own job creation statistics raised eyebrows, as did her apparent disinterest in critical economic crises, like the International Longshoremen’s Union strike threat, in favor of critiquing Trump.
Raimondo’s actions reflect a broader trend within the Biden administration. Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley recently inked a deal locking in telework for federal employees until 2029, a move critics say ties the hands of any incoming administration.
These eleventh-hour policy decisions, combined with delays and controversies surrounding critical programs, underscore tensions as the political tide may soon shift.