Thousands of workers are expected to receive notices of firing this week as they are considered “probationary workers,” which will result in the CHIPS Act being killed.
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Multiple reports have pieced together that the multi-billion-dollar CHIPS Act is currently on the chopping block as departures of hundreds of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) workers are expected to receive layoff notices this week. NIST workers headed the CHIPS Act by organizing the signatures of multiple companies to receive grants, and according to reports from Bloomberg, Axios, and now Semiconductor Advisors analyst Robert Maire, employees at NIST that have worked less than two years at the agency, including those who have received a promotion, will soon be let go.
As a result, the CHIPS Act will be dissolved, as no one will be left to administer it. Trade tariffs are expected to replace it.
The approach to layoff probationary workers has been used by Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to fire thousands of workers in other government agencies such as USAID, and according to reports, there could be as many as 500 people cut from NIST. According to Maire, the NIST cuts include 74 postdocs, 57% of CHIPS Act staff focussed on incentives, and 67% of CHIPS staff focussed on research and development. The cuts are even expected by NIST workers themselves, according to Maire, who has reportedly spoken to several NIST workers.
Maire writes the firing of NIST workers and the CHIPS Act essentially having no one to administer it will result in the program ceasing to exist, which is a form of usurping Congress by mass firings.