Sens. Cruz, Cornyn, Texas Delegation Members Urge Commerce Secretary Raimondo to Consider Texas for Key Semiconductor Production Sites
HOUSTON, Texas – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and John Cornyn (R-Texas) were joined by Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and a bipartisan group of 30 other members of the Texas congressional delegation in sending a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo calling for Texas to be considered for the future sites of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) as authorized by his CHIPS for America Act. The NSTC and NAPMP will be essential to maintaining an edge in semiconductor manufacturing leadership and hugely impactful to the region where it is established, creating a larger cluster of semiconductor investment.
In the letter, the members wrote:
“With a vibrant and long-standing space, defense, telecommunications industry, and manufacturing history, Texas is uniquely situated to foster the innovative environment in which the NSTC and NAPMP can thrive with broad engagement from chipmakers, material and equipment suppliers, chip customers, universities, research institutes and existing government partners.”
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“You will not find a better state in which to establish the National Semiconductor Technology Center and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program. We strongly endorse selecting Texas as the future sites for the NSTC and NAPMP.”
Read the full text of the letter here and below.
The Honorable Gina Raimondo
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20230
November 24, 2021
Dear Secretary Raimondo:
We write to urge you to consider selecting Texas for the future sites of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) established in Sec. 9906 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283). The tech industry is big in Texas- especially in Austin where the Department’s Commercial Service office is located. The Lone Star State’s strong, well-established information technology (IT) sector has given our State a global reputation as a leader in technology. The State government has recently announced the creation of a Texas Task Force to coordinate this effort.
The history of semiconductors is incomplete without Texans. From the 1958 invention of the integrated circuit in Dallas to the revitalization of the U.S. semiconductor market in the 1980s at SEMATECH in Austin, our State has a rich history as a leader in semiconductors since the industry’s inception. Texas is home to over 200 semiconductor installations employing over 40,000 at some of the world’s largest semiconductor companies.
Now home to the international headquarters for Oracle in Austin and HPE in Houston, along with significant expansion by Google, Apple, Amazon, Wipro, Microsoft, Dell and Tesla, Texas has developed a synergy with leaders in innovation. For 14 years, it has ranked among the top two states for the number of technology-related patent assignees.
Centrally located both nationally and within the state itself, Austin has multiple Tier I research institutions from which to draw talent. In fact, the National Science Foundation ranked Texas among the top tier of U.S. states for the number of doctorates awarded in tech-related fields, including electrical engineering. Acknowledging the rich innovative environment, the U.S. Army selected Austin as home for its new Army Futures Command, which focuses on science and technology development. A strong military presence in Texas and our partnerships with like-minded allies around the world will be essential to protect an asset like the NSTC and NAPMP from our global competitors that do not abide by international trading norms.
As the largest energy-producing state in the nation, including wind and solar, Texas is the ninth largest economy in the world, home to 16 sea ports, multiple land ports of entry, and has been the largest U.S. exporter for 19 years in a row. With a vibrant and long-standing space, defense, telecommunications industry, and manufacturing history, Texas is uniquely situated to foster the innovative environment in which the NSTC and NAPMP can thrive with broad engagement from chipmakers, material and equipment suppliers, chip customers, universities, research institutes and existing government partners. You will not find a better state in which to establish the National Semiconductor Technology Center and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program. We strongly endorse selecting Texas as the future sites for the NSTC and NAPMP.
Sincerely,
/s/
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