Dem
47
GOP
53
Donald Trump famously opposes everything Barack Obama or Joe Biden did, even if it helps his base. In particular, the CHIPS Act, which provides $50 billion for companies to build semiconductor manufacturing plants in the U.S., would create many good-paying factory jobs in the U.S. that do not require a college degree. Trump wants to kill the program—because it was Biden's idea.
Consequently, Biden has instructed Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to go on a spending spree and spend all the money before Trump takes office. Once she has signed legally binding contracts with Intel, Micron, Samsung and other companies to build factories in the U.S. paid for in part by the U.S. government, it would be both legally and politically difficult for Trump to cancel them. Imagine a big ceremony somewhere at which Raimondo and the state's governor celebrate the deal to build a big factory in the state that will create some large number of direct jobs (at the factory) and indirect jobs (construction jobs building the factory, housing for the new factory workers, etc.). Lots of publicity ensues. Then a few months later Trump cancels the project. Probably even more publicity and not good publicity for Trump.
Raimondo's task now is to negotiate iron-clad contracts and pay the companies in advance so Trump will have a very difficult time undoing them. Once the money has been disbursed and the companies have hired architects, contractors, and others to start the planning, they will not give the money back easily, and the courts will back them up. "I want to destroy Biden's legacy" is not likely to impress the courts.
Building chip factories in the U.S. has another advantage besides job creation. It will lessen the U.S. dependence on chips made abroad, especially Taiwan and China. Thus, the Act also becomes a national security issue. If Trump tries to effectively kill the Act by not disbursing the funds appropriated in it, he will also have to fight off the national security hawks within the Republican Party. He is not going to want that fight in addition to all the others on tap. (V)