{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/over-100-lawmakers-call-for-chips-permitting-reform-in-final-defense-bill", "Over 100 Lawmakers Call for CHIPS Permitting Reform in Final Defense Bill", "2023-10-27", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and over 100 other lawmakers are calling on Congressional leaders to include Sen. Cruz and Kelly\u2019s amendment to streamline the CHIPS permitting reform process in this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July, will provide regulatory certainty and accelerate the construction of semiconductor manufacturing plants. In a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of preventing any interruption in the construction of semiconductor manufacturing projects. Such interruptions ultimately undermine the objectives of the CHIPS Act and increase risks to both our economic and national security.\n\nRegarding the overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support for his amendment, Sen. Cruz said:\n\n\u201cThe overwhelming and broad bipartisan support for the CHIPS permitting reform amendment shows that both Congress and the administration stand united: build these new semiconductor plants now. I hope defense bill negotiators will agree to the Kelly-Cruz language and remove the needless bureaucratic delays that are weakening national and economic security. Let\u2019s get this new capacity built quickly so Texas, which is already one of the nation\u2019s leading chip producers, can continue growing and more jobs are brought to the Lone Star State.\u201d\n\nThe letter was sent to Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) with overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support.\n\nThe lawmakers write in the letter:\n\n\u201cHistorically, NEPA reviews apply to projects that receive a significant portion of federal funding, giving the Federal government sufficient control over the project\u2019s outcome. This is not the case for the CHIPS program\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Commerce Department will require a NEPA review by considering CHIPS Act projects to be \u2018major federal actions.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThis could include projects that have already received all environmental permits required under federal and state law, and have begun construction. This could halt or delay commencement of new projects, impacting the United States\u2019 ability to bolster its national security interests, economic growth, competitiveness, and technological leadership.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers also stressed the importance of the amendment\u2019s effort to level the playing field for construction of semiconductor facilities:\n\n\u201cTo address this challenge, Section 1090G of the Senate-passed NDAA and the Building Chips in America Act would clarify the scope of NEPA reviews required under the CHIPS Act..\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2026Furthermore, Section 1090G of the Senate-passed version ensures all states are equally attractive for semiconductor investments.\u201d\n\nAs the letter points out, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has endorsed Sens. Cruz and Kelly\u2019s amendment:\n\n\u201cAs Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently testified to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: \u2018These are national security imperative projects. [\u2026]\n\n\u201cEnvironmental concerns matter. We are not in any way suggesting we should do anything that hurts the environment or is unsustainable. That being said, we do need to [\u2026] streamline the process, speed the process, make the process more efficient and user friendly. [\u2026] But without the [amendment] it\u2019s very difficult.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers conclude:\n\n\"Interruptions and delays to semiconductor manufacturing projects would undermine the goals of the CHIPS Act and exacerbate risks to our economic and national security, without providing additional benefits for environmental protection.\"\n\nRead full letter HERE.\n\nIn total the letter has 120 signatories including Sens. Ted Cruz, Mark Kelly, Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.)\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/over-100-lawmakers-call-for-chips-permitting-reform-in-final-defense-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8412191420793533, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}