U.S. Senate approves $52 bln chips bill in bid to reach compromise

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted 68-28 on Monday to again approve a bill to provide $52 billion in U.S. subsidies for semiconductor chips manufacturing in a bid to reach a compromise after months of discussions.

The procedural vote sends the legislation back to the House of Representatives in a cumbersome process to ultimately launch a formal process known as a “conference” where lawmakers from both chambers will meet to seek agreement on a compromise version. The Senate first passed chips legislation in June that also authorized $190 billion to strengthen U.S. technology and research to compete with China, while the House passed its version in early February.