Senate hopeful Representative Colin Allred (D-TX) is calling out his opponent this election cycle – Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) for supporting the Creating Helpful Incentives to Product Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act after voting against it.
Local news, such as KVUE Austin (ABC), claims this bill has been beneficial for Texans and Texas job growth in the semiconductor sector.
Phil Prazan of NBC Dallas-Fort Worth questioned Sen. Cruz about the CHIPS Act.
Ted Cruz can try to take credit for the CHIPS Act, but Texans know the truth about his record: he didn’t vote for it. I did. Texans deserve a Senator who will actually invest in jobs in our state. pic.twitter.com/NK6Xy8Vafg
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) October 24, 2024
Sen. Cruz responded, “The CHIPS Act actually had two components in it, and it had a bill called the FABS [Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors] Act, and in it, a bill called the CHIPS Act. The FABS Act, I was a co-sponsor of.”
However, Rep. Allred responded to Cruz’s attempt to clarify his stance on the CHIPS and FABS bills despite the results it has yielded in Texas.
“The work is being done by other people. It's not being done by him. When the rubber meets the road, you have to actually pass a bill to help Texans and to help Americans; he's not there,” said Rep. Allred. “Whether it's the CHIPS and Science Act that John Cornyn helped us pass that really no state is benefiting more from than Texas, Ted Cruz votes against it. Then he wants to show up later at semiconductor manufacturers and talk about the work that we're doing at the federal level. Well, he's a free rider there.”
After the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in August that Texas Instruments – a semiconductor company headquartered in Dallas (you may have used their calculators in grade school) – would receive a $1.6 billion investment to help expand its operations, Allred claimed the bipartisan Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and his support of the bill allowed this grant to occur.
“The CHIPS Act is proof that when we work together we can do big things for Texas and our nation,” said Rep. Allred. “Texas Instruments has long been a stalwart of innovation and industry in our region, and this investment will help them create 2,000 manufacturing jobs, and thousands of construction jobs, all while cementing Texas as a global leader in the semiconductor industry. I am so proud to have supported the CHIPS Act, and I will keep working to ensure it continues to deliver for our state.”
Moreover, President and CEO of Texas Instruments Haviv Ilan credited the CHIPS Act as well for allowing growth for companies like his to flourish and expand in the United States of America.
Texans will be able to vote between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred on Nov. 5.
