Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Todd Young (R-IN), and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Global Technology Leadership Act. This bipartisan legislation would establish an Office of Global Competition Analysis to assess how the United States fares in key emerging technologies relative to other countries to better inform U.S. policy and strengthen American competitiveness.
Created by the bill if passed, the Office of Global Competition Analysis would assess U.S. technology competitiveness based on a fusion of intelligence and commercial data, which today are too often siloed in intelligence and civilian agencies, according to the lawmakers. This has often left the United States blind to its relative capacity in critical technologies compared to other nations, such as in 5G and semiconductors, they explain. Analysis that interrogates the entire U.S. ecosystem, including private sector dynamics, is critical to understanding threats and opportunities in strategic emerging technology.
“We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence to competitors like China,” said Bennet. “To defend our economic and national security and protect U.S. leadership in critical emerging technologies, we need to be able to take into account both classified and commercial information to fully assess where we stand. With that information, Congress can make smart decisions about where to invest and how to strengthen our competitiveness.”
“This legislation will better synchronize our national security community to ensure America wins the technological race against the Chinese Communist Party. There is no single federal agency evaluating American leadership in critical technologies like quantum computing, despite their significance to our national security and economic prosperity. Our bill will help fill this gap,” said Young.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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