By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters), – U.S. Commerce secretary Gina Raimondo stated Tuesday that Congress may not be able to authorize $52billion to increase U.S. manufacturing of semiconductors. The move could lead to 2022.

Raimondo continues to push U.S. legislators to approve funding for the chip supply crisis. This has cut car production and affected other industries. According to Raimondo, senior legislators are working on the issue.

Raimondo stated that “if it doesn’t happen, we’re going back at it again” at the joint press conference she held with Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of European Commission. The only reason this wouldn’t happen was because they have an extremely busy docket and only a few legislative day left.

Congress must agree to chip funding funding prior to the holiday season, according to increasingly pessimistic business leaders.

November 17th, Senate and House leaders announced that they were working together to reach a final agreement for a bill that would increase U.S. technological competitiveness with China as well as semiconductor manufacturing.

In June, Congress approved legislation that would have awarded $52 Billion to the semiconductor industry and authorized $190 billion in research and development to improve U.S technology.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, stated Thursday that she supports funding, but added, “a one-time injection of funding will be insufficient to sustain U.S. leadership on microelectronics innovations.”

Frank Lucas (the top Republican on this panel), stated that legislators have been “ready to go for many months ….Time to address our future domestic chips needs is very short. We need to act now because I can tell you that our competitors aren’t waiting.”