WASINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan victory in Washington that will directly impact Ohio was celebrated on Tuesday, as President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law.

The sweeping competitiveness bill will provide $52 billion to build computer chips on U.S. soil, including in Licking County where Intel plans to construct at least two chip factories. 

It’s part of a broader strategy by the U.S. to compete with China and make more chips—that go in everything from cars to appliances—on U.S. soil.

“Today is a day for builders. Today, America is delivering,” Biden said during a ceremony on the White House lawn.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger had promised an investment of at least $20 billion, and potentially as much as $100 billion, in Licking County if the bill became law.

A list of Ohio lawmakers, state leaders and mayors traveled to D.C. on Tuesday to attend the bill signing.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of change in the locations,” said Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. “A lot of reinvigoration in communities that have desperately needed it for the last couple of decades.”

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D) joined Russo and said Intel’s plans will require so many jobs that cities like his can help fill them.

“We can leverage great institutions like Case Western and Cleveland State and Cuyahoga Community College,” Bibb told Spectrum News. “And we want to make sure that Cleveland can be a hub for Intel across the state.”

The legislation is a big win for Ohio’s U.S. senators.

Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman played leading roles in writing the bill.

At the White House event, Portman earned a shout out from Biden.

“I don’t want to get you in trouble, but you did a hell of a job,” the president joked with the Ohio Republican.

In a statement, Portman said, “Our national security and manufacturing capabilities are getting the competitive edge they need with the bipartisan CHIPS Act now law.”

Brown said in an interview last week that he expects there to be more jobs than the several thousand originally promised.

“We’ll work with chambers of commerce and local unions and communities all over the state because this job growth is going to be way more than just central Ohio,” Brown told Spectrum News.

Columbus-area Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D, OH-3), who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said at Tuesday’s event that she will now focus on making sure diversity plays a role in who is hired for the long list of jobs that will need to be filled.

“We have to look at who’s getting the legal contracts. Who’s getting the bonding work. Who’s managing all the fund development,” she said. “Then we can really talk about equity and inclusion.”

Biden said Intel’s CEO informed him the company will break ground in Ohio in the early fall.