Senator, semiconductor leaders sit at roundtable
HUNTER DWORACZYK [email protected]
ROUND ROCK — Sen. Ted Cruz said the need to build the semiconductor industry up in Texas and the United States has an urgency of time.
Cruz described semiconductor manufacturing as a national security matter during a press conference Thursday, Jan. 4 at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Round Rock.
Semiconductor chips are in nearly every piece of technology, including cell phones, cars and missiles.
Cruz participated in a roundtable discussion with leaders and stakeholders of semiconductor manufacturing.
A spokesperson for Cruz said participants included representatives from Samsung Austin Semiconductor, city of Taylor, Williamson County, Micro Devices, AMD, Micron, MediaTek, Silicon Labs, Applied Materials, Synopsys, GlobalWafers America, Octavo Systems, ASSET Solutions, Inc., city of Round Rock, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, Opportunity Austin, University of Texas for Institute for Electronics, Texas A&M Semiconductor institute and Texas A&M System Government Relations.
Cruz said he tried to listen to the chipmakers and researchers about what they need from a legislative level to make the process easier on their side.
One amendment the senator pushed for during Thursday’s conference was his amendment to the CHIPS Act that seeks to streamline the permitting process for semiconductor plants.
The CHIPS Act, which stands for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors, dishes out billions of dollars to encourage domestic manufacturing and research of semiconductors. Versions of the act have been passed both federally and at the state level.
Cruz’s amendment would reduce environmental regulations for building new plants. He said they need semiconductor plants built now, not years down the line.
His amendment passed in the U.S. Senate but is still awaiting approval from the U.S. House.
“It is important to have vigorous environmental protections but not have regulations in place that just slow everything down for years and years and years,” Cruz said. “That puts us in an economic disadvantage to other countries that are beating us right now in semiconductors.”
He said the prospect of the United States having to rely on foreign countries for semiconductor imports, such as China, is “intolerable.”
“It really is a unique vulnerability,” Cruz said. “And, it’s part of why we have been able to get bipartisan agreement. This is endangering Americans.”
According to Cruz, over $61 billion has been invested into the semiconductor industry in Texas in the last three years. He added that there are 8,000 industry jobs to come to Texas as well.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell also attended the round table discussion. Gravell thanked Cruz for delivering on his promise to bring the industry to the area and said the county will deliver on its end by one day sending semiconductor chips made in Texas around the world.
The new Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant being built in Taylor makes Williamson County a player in the semiconductor landscape.
“The reality is we’re building the largest ecosystem in North America for semiconductor manufacturing right here,” Gravell said.
Cruz primarily highlighted the CHIPS Act and semiconductors on a state-level and national-level, but did speak against rumors of the new Taylor fab site’s production being delayed.
He said he believes the reports of Samsung being off its marks are inaccurate based on the talks his team has had with Samsung.
“I’m confident Samsung is going to hit its expected targets and then that’s certainly what I hope to see and expect to see,” Cruz said.
