John Cornyn: Look past the DC dysfunction. We’re getting things done for Texas | Opinion

Fiery speeches. Heated debates. Name-calling. Mudslinging. It’s easy to see raucous news clips and assume nothing can get done in Congress. Despite the partisan divisions that often take center stage, we were able to accomplish a lot last year, bringing big wins to Texas.

For starters, Congress funded the CHIPS for America Act, legislation that I introduced to close a major national security gap. Semiconductors power everything from dishwashers to F-35 military aircraft, but the United States overwhelmingly relies on other countries to produce them. That reliance is a major vulnerability. If the Chinese Communist Party chose to cut off our supply, we’d be up a creek without a paddle.

Now that the CHIPS for America Act is fully funded, it will encourage chip manufacturing right here at home and ensure critical supply chains aren’t at the mercy of foreign adversaries. It will also bring new jobs and record economic investments to several Texas cities, including Sherman, where Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers have already broken ground on manufacturing facilities.

In addition to this milestone for national security, I’ve led efforts in Congress to address threats in our communities.

Earlier this year, the quiet, tight-knit community of Uvalde went from anonymity to infamy within a few hours of the tragic murder of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. In the following weeks, the resounding message across the state became clear: “Do something to protect our kids at school.”

I immediately got to work and helped pass a new mental-health and school-safety law. This included targeted reforms to harden schools and boost mental health resources without infringing upon our gun rights. Thanks to this legislation, Texas school districts like Fort Worth ISD have received critical funding for school security. Enhanced investigation into juvenile records for 18 to 20-year-old gun purchasers has already kept firearms out of the hands of criminals and those adjudicated as mentally ill. These reforms will save lives.

Congress has also passed several bills I introduced to support victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. This list includes a bill inspired by the survivors of the Larry Nassar investigation, including Texan and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, to help prevent re-traumatizing child victims who report their abuse to the FBI It also includes my bills to improve sexual assault prevention efforts in the military, strengthen programs supporting human trafficking survivors, combat online child exploitation, and end the shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners, who provide forensic examinations for rape victims. Many of these nurses will receive this specialized training at North Texas universities.

In addition to supporting crime victims, Congress worked to fund the police and empower law enforcement officers who ensure justice is served. I was proud to see bills I authored signed into law to give law enforcement critical training in de-escalation tactics and fund mental-health programs and crisis-intervention teams.

On a final note, I’m particularly grateful that my bill with Rep. Jake Ellzey to designate an Arlington post office after his predecessor, the late Arlington-area Congressman Ron Wright, was recently signed into law. Ron’s many years of public service had a tremendous impact on North Texas, and I’m glad we can honor him in this way.

Despite the partisanship in Washington, Congress has taken several decisive steps to help Texans live safer, freer and stronger lives. I’m proud of the many bipartisan accomplishments last year, and I look forward to building on this progress in 2023.

John Cornyn, a Republican, is Texas’ senior U.S. senator.