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Speaking after a rally Friday supporting Williams' reelection bid in Syracuse, Johnson was asked whether Republicans will repeal the 2022 law if Donald Trump wins the presidency and the GOP controls Congress. 

"I expect that we probably will, but we haven't developed that part of the agenda yet," he said. 

Shortly after Johnson's answer, Williams, R-Sennett, interjected to reiterate his support for the CHIPS and Science Act. 

"Obviously, the CHIPS Act is hugely impactful here," he said. "My job is to keep lobbying on my side. That's why I've crossed the aisle and supported many things against leadership. That's our partnership. That's how we're going to get through this ... I will remind him night and day how important the CHIPS Act is and that we break ground on Micron." 

In response to a follow-up question about Trump's comments that the CHIPS and Science Act is "so bad," Williams criticized parts of the law that he labeled as "Green New Deal-type programs." He called for reforming the law to maintain provisions that support domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. 

Johnson aligned with that approach. He noted that bringing chip manufacturing back to the U.S. is a national security issue. 

"You'll have 100% agreement by President Trump and all the Republicans in Congress," he said. "What we were opposed to in that bill was it had too much crammed into it and you had the Green New Deal stuff, to Brandon's point. When you take the Green New Deal out of the equation, you will save trillions of dollars in the long run for the U.S. economy and you will allow the free market to thrive again."

Johnson added later, "We're going to support chip manufacturing. We do not support the Green New Deal. When you separate those two things, that makes it a whole lot simpler." 

As Johnson's initial comment about potentially repealing the CHIPS and Science Act received national attention, Williams' campaign released statements from the speaker and congressman clarifying their remarks. Williams said Johnson "apologized profusely" and told him that he misheard the question. 

Johnson said he supports Micron's investment in central New York and that the CHIPS Act is "not on the agenda for repeal." 

"To the contrary, there could be legislation to further streamline and improve the primary purpose of the bill — to eliminate its costly regulations and Green New Deal requirements," he added. 

Democrats seized on Johnson's comment. State Sen. John Mannion, who is challenging Williams in the 22nd Congressional District, blasted the two Republicans for targeting the CHIPS Act. 

At the state level, Mannion advocated for passage of the Green CHIPS legislation to provide incentives to chip manufacturers, such as Micron. 

Without the CHIPS and Science Act, Mannion said Micron would've invested in another state and Wolfspeed, a manufacturer in Oneida County, would not have received $750 million in federal funding. 

"As a lifelong resident of central New York, I have experienced the decades of job losses in our area, which is why I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver legislation that secured the Micron deal to bring prosperity, quality of life and a brighter future to NY-22," Mannion said. 

The CHIPS and Science Act will provide $6.1 billion to support Micron's plan to build chip fabs in the town of Clay, Onondaga County. The chip manufacturer is planning to invest $100 billion over 20 years to construct its massive facility, which will employ 9,000 people and 40,000 more in supporting industries.