An outright display of disregard for process and law once again emerges from the Biden administration. It has been discovered that officials from the Biden era unlawfully established Natcast for the management of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), avoiding the required legal permissions. This was yet another example of the previous regime’s unscrupulous ways of doing things, which reeked of scant regard for the decorum of governance.
The United States Department of Commerce has rectified this unlawful act by rescinding an eye-popping $7.4 billion semiconductor research grant, which was sneakily issued in the final lap of the Biden administration. Interestingly, this massive grant was meant for Natcast, a questionable entity for which necessary legal authentification was sidestepped by Biden officials. The righteousness of such an act poses a question mark.
Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, recently announced that the management of the NSTC would no longer be in the hands of the dubious Natcast. Instead, the reputable National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has now taken control, returning a semblance of order and accountability to NSTC operations. The unscrupulous manner in which Natcast was unlawfully created to control NSTC operations stands resolved.
The Biden administration’s illicit establishment of Natcast, to oversee the operations of the NSTC, was a glaring misstep. This exploitative tactic clearly woebegone the legal limitations that bar government agencies from instituting corporations without clear legislative authorization. The transgression appears to be a blatant misuse of taxpayer’s funds, with the Department of Commerce aptly terming Natcast as a ‘semiconductor slush fund.’
In the dying embers of the Biden administration in January 2025, a pact was secured to assign Natcast as the controller of the NSTC for ten years. This agreement proposed to channel practically all of Natcast’s funding via a federal grant reaching up to the monumental sum of $7.4 billion. This shady agreement was driven through on the cusp of President Donald Trump’s ascension to the office, raising more than mere eyebrows.
The NSTC was brought into existence under the CHIPS and Science Act of August 2022, with the noble intention of enhancing domestic semiconductor research and workforce formidable. However, Biden-era officials shirked their responsibilities by delegating the NSTC’s management to Natcast, a private non-profit entity, despite seeming conflicts of interests and palpable harmful consequences for the research ecosystem.
The process of choosing leaders for Natcast underwent severe scrutiny, as there was an air of perceived bias surrounding the choices made. It emerges that the former Biden administration personnel were at the helm of organising Natcast by providing abundant legal and corporate advice. The details are almost too noteworthily biased that one wonders whether this biased role was a reward for blind loyalty.
Secretary Lutnick voiced strong criticism of the scandal, stating candidly how Natcast acted as a mere money-milking platform for Biden loyalists at the cost of American taxpayers. He revealed how the Biden administration brazenly manipulated legislation to form, staff, and oversee a corporation acting as a governmental body without the requisite authority.
Lutnick went on to assert that the cancellation of Natcast and NSTC’s illegal link would ensure that the Commerce Department continues to maintain control of taxpayer funds. He assured that this would henceforth lead to accountable investments and benefits for all Americans, a far cry from the previous administration’s misuse of the taxpayer’s funds to benefit a select few.
The highly incriminating role of the Biden administration becomes evident in the original agreement with Natcast, which unusually lacked a routine ‘termination for convenience’ clause. The omission of such a critical item restricted oversight and adaptability for incoming administrations. This defies logic and administration practices, creating a barrier for the democratic transfer of power.
Upon further investigation, this agreement has been nullified due to gross violations of the Government Corporation Control Act. It is a clear testament to how the Biden era’s careless governance can lead to wasting the valuable funds of taxpayers. This incident exemplifies the Biden administration’s condescending perspective towards taxpayers, who were used as mere collateral in their grand scheme.
The decision to revoke the $7.4 billion funding and to wind down Natcast reveals a semblance of accountability being restored. It must be remembered how the Biden administration had almost maneuvered taxpayer money into a non-profit with seemingly vested interests, neglecting proper laws. This incident serves as a reminder of the negative impacts of manipulated governance.
It’s alarming that such a significant shift away from a legally unauthorized corporation like Natcast had to be implimented. Notably, such mismanagement took a backseat during the Biden administration, raising another flag on its governance. This decision stands as a triumph for legitimate governance and a much-needed corrective measure for the error of the Biden era.
In summary, the Biden administration’s brazen attempt to unlawfully fund a private entity and bypass legal checks and balances was stopped in its tracks. The resulting scandal and its aftermath serve as a stark reminder of the Biden era’s lingering shadow of indifference towards legality and its inclination to jeopardize taxpayers’ best interests.
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