The Kelly-Cruz Building Chips in America Act is an example of bipartisan leadership delivering serious results for Texans. With our military and economy increasingly reliant on advanced technologies, it is critical that we manufacture advanced microchips on American soil.

Last year, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., introduced a bill that streamlined the environmental review process for microchip manufacturing plants. This bill was written with good intentions, but it contained a fatal flaw: it would have created a preference for new microchip manufacturing in states that mimic the federal government’s burdensome, time-consuming environmental review laws. These states, the majority of which are exceedingly liberal enclaves like California and New York, would have received a massive leg up over states like Texas in any competition for new microchip facilities.

I worked across the aisle with Sen. Kelly and together we rewrote the bill to create a better, fairer solution. The rewritten bill leveled the playing field for all states, ensuring that federal law didn’t preference blue states like California over Texas so that both can compete fairly for new microchip manufacturing facilities and jobs.

Sen. Kelly and I built a strong bipartisan coalition to support our bill. President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo even praised our leadership in streamlining the process for this national security imperative. And Secretary Raimondo explicitly urged Congress to pass the Cruz-Kelly amendment because it will “help us a lot to move faster.”

Our bipartisan effort was successful, and in December Majority Leader Chuck Schumer advanced the Kelly-Cruz legislation on the Senate floor with unanimous bipartisan support. Over the last 10 months, I worked hand in hand with Republican leadership and rank-and-file members in the U.S. House of Representatives to secure a vote on our bill, which passed the House overwhelmingly without any changes. And on Oct. 2, very quietly and without fanfare, President Biden signed it into law.

I am proud to have led the effort for new microchip manufacturing in the United States, but I also want to make sure we do it the right way. That is why I wrote and passed the Building Chips in America Act, but it is also why I voted against the 2022 Chips and Science Act. That bill combined many other bills, including the Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors (FABS) Act — of which I was a co-sponsor — which created tax incentives for new semiconductor manufacturing. But I was forced to vote against the final 2022 version because it gave tens of billions of taxpayer dollars directly to extremely profitable multinational corporations. I oppose corporate welfare; it far too often leads to corruption.

My concerns have unfortunately been realized. Micron, which will get over $6 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars, recently announced it had begun construction on a new semiconductor packaging and testing plant in China. Similarly, unable to get progressive bills through Congress, the administration has improperly conditioned Chips and Science Act grants on companies adopting green energy and liberal social policies.

Though I made my case at the time, mine was not the prevailing view and enough of my colleagues voted to advance the bill that it became law. But as I’ve said before, regardless of whether I voted for it or not, once taxpayer money is flowing out of Washington, it’s my job to make sure that Texas gets its fair share. That is why I’ve vigorously advocated for companies building in Texas to get chips funding.

But it’s also why I was so focused on the Kelly-Cruz Building Chips in America Act. By easing the regulatory burden for manufacturers, our bill incentivizes companies to create jobs on American soil. It will result in new manufacturing plants being built in Texas and will bring billions in investment and thousands of new high-paying jobs to Texas — and the economic growth that comes with that.

The issues facing our country are significant, but so are the opportunities. The Kelly-Cruz legislation shows what is possible when we work together to deliver results for Texans. By streamlining the regulatory process and ensuring that Texas and other states can compete fairly, we are securing our future. These reforms are just the beginning, and I will continue to fight for policies that put Texas and America first, protect our national security, and empower hardworking Texans who make this nation great.

Sen. Ted Cruz is the ranking member on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Editor’s note: The Dallas Morning News seldom publishes op-eds from political candidates during campaign season. This cycle, we’ve made exceptions for policy-focused pieces from the two major party candidates seeking election to the U.S. Senate. Democrat Colin Allred’s submission can be found here.

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