Kelly Leads 119 Colleagues in Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging Inclusion of his Chips Permitting Reform in Defense Bill

The Building Chips in America Act passed the Senate in July as part of the NDAA

Today, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), joined by a group of 119 bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers including Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-VA-2), Doris Matsui (D-CA-7), Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN), sent a letter to Senate and House Armed Services Committees leaders urging them to preserve the Building Chips in America Actin the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

The chips permitting bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support as an amendment to the Senate NDAA in July, streamlines National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review requirements for semiconductor manufacturing projects to maximize the impact of the CHIPS and Science Act, Kelly’s landmark microchip manufacturing bill. Senate and House leaders are preparing to negotiate a final, compromise version of the NDAA that could pass both chambers and be signed into law. The letter urges Senate and House leaders to maintain the Senate-passed microchip permitting reforms in that final version. 

Find a summary of the Building Chips in America Act here. 

“Historically, NEPA reviews apply to projects that receive a significant portion of federal funding, giving the Federal government sufficient control over the project’s outcome. This is not the case for the CHIPS program,” the lawmakers said in the letter. 

Federal funding for CHIPS Act projects will comprise a minimal share of the cost, but they would still be deemed “major federal actions.”   

“This could halt or delay commencement of new projects, impacting the United States’ ability to bolster its national security interests, economic growth, competitiveness, and technological leadership,” the lawmakers continued.  

Kelly’s bill addresses this challenge by clarifying the scope of NEPA reviews while keeping in place state and federal protections for clean air and clean water. 

“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. Therefore, we urge you to retain Section 1090G of S. 2226 in the final FY24 NDAA,” they concluded. 

Co-signers of Kelly’s letter are Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), James Risch (R-ID), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), JD Vance (R-OH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN) and Reps. Colin Allred (D-TX-32), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4), Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Jim Baird (R-IN-4), Tony Balderson (R-OH-12), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3), Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2), Ami Bera (D-CA-6), Stephanie Bice (R-OK-5), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), Mike Carey (R-OH-15), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-1), John Carter (R-TX-31), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6), Tom Cole (R-OK-4), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30), John Curtis (R-UT-3), Warren Davidson (R-OH-8), Donald Davis (D-NC-1), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6), Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3), Neal Dunn (R-FL-2), Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-4), Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-9), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Kay Granger (R-TX-12), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1), Brian Higgins (D-NY-26), Steven Horsford (D-NV-4), Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38), Darrell Issa (R-CA-48), Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), Jim Jordan (R-OH-4), Dave Joyce (R-OH-14), Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-7), Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA-2), Young Kim (R-CA-40), Ann Kuster (D-NH-2), Nick LaLota (R-NY-1), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1), Robert Latta (R-OH-5), Susie Lee (D-NV-3), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8), Doris Matsui (D-CA-7), Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), Rich McCormick (R-GA-6), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5), Grace Meng (D-NY-6), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1), Max Miller (R-OH-7), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY-19), Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25), Jay Obernolte (R-CA- 23), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Mary Peltola (D-AK), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14), David Rouzer (R-NC-7), Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6), Keith Self (R-TX-3), Pete Sessions (R-TX-17), Michael Simpson (R-ID-2), Darren Soto (D-FL-9), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), Mike Thompson (D-CA-4), Dina Titus (D-NV-1), David Valadao (R-CA-22), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-2), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Susan Wild (D-PA-7), Brandon Williams (R-NY-22), Roger Williams (R-TX-25), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT-1).