AI / Data Centers

John Cornyn (R)

Cornyn co-sponsored the CREATE AI Act funding the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) and the AI Risk Evaluation Act, framing AI policy as the next-generation national-security competition with China. He helped negotiate the CHIPS and Science Act, which directed billions to TSMC-Arizona and Samsung-Taylor and which he treats as one of his signature legacy accomplishments. He is a primary sponsor of legislation funding the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium and has championed advanced-AI-chip export controls through his Senate Intelligence Committee work. He has been measured on the local data-center moratorium debate — supporting local property-rights deference while opposing the most aggressive state preemption of local rules — and has not endorsed broad federal preemption of state AI regulation. His framework treats AI infrastructure investment as bipartisan national-security policy, not a culture-war battlefield.

James Talarico (D)

Talarico wants to 'guarantee large energy users like data centers fund the infrastructure improvements they need rather than passing those costs on to consumers.' He proposes mandatory algorithmic bias and privacy impact assessments for social media platforms, prohibitions on algorithms targeting minors, and reining in broad Section 230-style immunity. He would protect workers from AI surveillance, guarantee human review for automated hiring/firing decisions, and require AI companies to follow existing copyright law. He supports stronger export controls on advanced AI chips to keep them out of adversaries' hands and federal grants for digital-literacy programs. In Austin he authored Texas's deepfake-protection bill, the AI-political-ad regulation, and helped establish the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium.

AI / Data Centers

John Cornyn (R)

James Talarico (D)

Sources