Colin Allred, Ted Cruz spar over credit for bill to speed new microchip plants

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, agree that Texas can expect new jobs and economic development from a bill easing permitting requirements on new semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
The two sparred sharply this week, however, over which of them deserves credit for getting the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Allred’s camp noted that he co-sponsored the original House bill. Cruz said he rewrote it in the Senate and convinced House GOP leaders to push his version over the finish line.
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The dispute comes as the two candidates are locked in a competitive race, with each pitching himself as the best option to deliver on job creation.
“A win for Texas! The House passed our bill, the Building Chips in America Act, to streamline permitting and advance CHIPS Act projects,” Allred said on X. “Thanks to a team from both sides of the aisle, we got this done.”
Repeating his criticism that Cruz is more interested in self-promotion than finding solutions, Allred added: “Ted Cruz is trying to claim credit. Classic Ted acting like a ‘me guy.’ ”
A prime example, Allred says, was Cruz’s vote against the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act that was intended to boost domestic production of microchips and is helping bring billions of dollars to new Texas facilities.
Cruz says he enthusiastically supported the 2022 bill’s tax and regulatory incentives for new manufacturing facilities but strongly objected to its direct corporate subsidies.
“I am not a fan of giving taxpayer money directly to private corporations, and I think history has shown that it can lead to bad results,” Cruz said. “Once the bill passed, I have actively urged as many of those dollars as possible to go to Texas.”
Cruz said he was particularly interested in speeding those new manufacturing facilities through a federal environmental review process that can delay projects for years.
He recounted seeing an Allred news release announcing the original proposal to ease those requirements.
Cruz said some of the original language would have disadvantaged Texas, so he blocked it and asked his staff to write new language.
He worked with U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to get that version unanimously approved by the Senate.
The reworked bill encountered resistance in the House from some Democrats concerned about undermining environmental regulations and from some Republicans who wanted a more comprehensive overhaul of environmental rules.
The House voted 257-125 Monday to approve the Cruz-Kelly version.
In an interview, Cruz talked in great detail about the various legislative twists and turns the permitting bill went through on the way to final passage as he lobbied for support in the House and urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring the bill to the floor.
It is “utterly bizarre” that Allred would claim the legislation as his own, he said.
“The fact that Colin Allred is trying to claim credit for legislation that I drafted and that I have been fighting a year to pass is emblematic of his campaign,” Cruz said.
He said Allred is trying to pitch himself as a bipartisan-minded moderate despite voting consistently with his party for years, particularly in opposition to Republican proposals to secure the border and stem illegal immigration.
The Cruz campaign pointed to a statement by Samsung crediting Cruz with the legislation. Cruz also cited testimony by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in which she praised him for his work on the issue and endorsed his proposal.
Allred supporters have responded by pointing to U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, who hailed Monday night’s vote and credited Allred with co-sponsoring the bill.
And Kelly, the Democratic senator who worked with Cruz, said in an interview Tuesday that he was on the phone with Allred several times in recent days as they worked to line up votes for the bill. A total of 79 Democrats joined 178 Republicans in supporting it.
Democrats said Cruz is late to the cause and trying to obscure his vote against the 2022 CHIPS bill by touting his role in the permitting legislation.
Cruz and Allred agreed the bill holds great promise for Texas.
Cruz cited widespread concerns that a lack of domestic chip production is a threat to national and economic security. The permitting bill is key to unlocking potential new facilities, he said.
“This bill accelerates billions of dollars coming into Texas and thousands of high-paying jobs,” Cruz said.
Allred hit similar notes in his news release.
“The CHIPS Act is a huge opportunity for Texas and the nation to invest in microchip manufacturing and grow the semiconductor industry, but to do that we must ensure these projects can get approved quickly,” Allred said.