Republican Senator Rick Scott has questioned Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger about plans to cut over 15,000 jobs despite the company being a candidate for nearly $20 billion in U.S. grants and loans aimed at boosting semiconductor manufacturing. Scott expressed concerns about the effective use of taxpayer funds and whether the Commerce Department's planned awards included sufficient metrics to protect these funds. The funding is intended to create over 10,000 manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs across several states, but Intel's recent $10 billion cost-reduction plan includes significant layoffs. Scott is seeking clarification on how many U.S. employees will be impacted and how these cuts will affect Intel's investment in semiconductor production. The Commerce Department and Intel have not yet commented on Scott's letter.