Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1532533
46 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2025 A new year didn't just mean cold weather across the country, it also meant a change to the political environment facing American manu- facturers. Across the entire federal government, there will be changes in personnel, structure, and governing philosophy. is means those of us who care about what happens in Washing- ton will need to adjust our strategies and tactics to match a new reality. Here's how that looks across the federal ecosystem. At the Pentagon America's warfighters depend on modern microelectronics to fight, win, and come home safely. DoD investments in recent years have reflected this and we have no reason to believe that will change. e Pentagon's industrial base study identified printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a critical component for which we lack suf- ficient manufacturing capacity to meet pro- jected needs. Military leaders should continue to use the Defense Production Act to address this issue. Depending on adversarial countries for the components inside the defense technolo- gies that float, fly, and fight is bad policy and dan- gerous practice. As new Defense Department political appointees arrive, PCBAA will connect with them and continue the great partnership our association has developed with key agencies within the Pentagon over the past four years. At the Commerce Department In the last administration, there was unprece- dented activity at the Commerce Department. rough the CHIPS and Science Act, they dis- bursed nearly $52 billion in federal funds to reduce our dependence on foreign semicon- ductors. at investment in American-made semiconductors is paying off as new fabs come online and expand U.S. market share. American Made Advocacy by Shane Whiteside, PCBAA Long-time Challenges Confront a New Administration