Tech Lobbies for Congress to Gain Ground on Helium

The semiconductor industry and other tech companies are lobbying Congress to take quick action to reauthorize one of the nation’s vital but little-known natural resource stockpiles: the helium reserve. Congress has just a dozen legislative days before the reserve gets shut down as part of a long-planned government withdrawal from the sector. Industries that rely on the gas fear they’ll face shortages and skyrocketing prices if the closure goes ahead, and they’re asking lawmakers to extend the life of the reserve. They’ve even coined a phrase for their dilemma: the “helium cliff.”

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