President Joe Biden will be in Alabama on Tuesday to tour a Lockheed Martin facility that makes weapons systems the U.S. has sent to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian invasion.
After touring the location, Biden will give remarks about the $33 billion funding request he sent to Congress to provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The White House said he plans to press lawmakers to pass legislation that will help the semiconductor industry and boost microchip production.
Biden's trip differs from visits he has made across the country recently, which have focused on domestic policy, such as fixing the nation's transportation systems and infrastructure with funding from the bipartisan bill he signed into law last year.
The final assembly of a slew of weapons, including Javelin antitank missiles, is carried out in the city of Troy. The White House said Ukrainians have made extensive use of Javelins, a shoulder-fired antitank missile that can hit up to 2.5 miles away, to effectively fend off Russia, including in their effort to protect the capital, Kyiv.
The Alabama facility, where about 600 people work, has produced more than 50,000 Javelin missiles over the last 20 years. It also puts the finishing touches on air-to-surface missiles and air-to-ground missiles such as the Hellfire.
The White House said that each Javelin missile requires more than 200 semiconductors to make. Increased domestic chip manufacturing isn't just critical to making more in America or lowering prices - it's also a vital part of our national security.