Congress: Pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act
Dear Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, and Leader McCarthy:
We are writing in strong support of the swift passage and reconciliation of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S 1260) and the America COMPETES Act (HR 4521) and in particular, the provisions that would increase the production of semiconductors in the United States. We have been monitoring the progress of this legislation for months and now is the time to act and pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act so the implementation of these important programs can begin.
Earlier this year after completing a survey of semiconductor chip producers, the U.S. Department of Commerce found that there is a significant and alarming shortage of semiconductors compared to the growing demand, the issue will likely persist for years, and many industries are dealing with very high prices for some chips. We desperately need increased capacity to deal with these issues and need domestic manufacturing capabilities to meet the needs of the defense community while securing our supply chains.
Texas has a long history in the semiconductor industry and leads the nation in semiconductor exports. In 2020, the industry contributed $15.3 billion to Texas’ gross domestic product and the market is well positioned to continue growing. Multiple companies announced they would be constructing new semiconductor plants in Texas including the Samsung plant in Taylor and the Texas Instruments plants in Sherman. With increased funding from the Commerce Department for semiconductor production from USICA/COMPETES Act, we know that additional companies will also create new or expanded capacities in Texas.
This innovation legislation creates an opportunity to solve a national crisis while also growing the economy in Texas. Swift passage ensures that we can begin taking advantage of these benefits as soon as possible. We thank you for your leadership on semiconductor manufacturing and look forward to continuing to work with you on the implementation of these vital programs.
