Support Grows for the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act

118th Congress Research and Technology

November 13, 2023

(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee announced growing support for H.R. 6213, the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act. Introduced by Science Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the bipartisan legislation builds off the accomplishments of the National Quantum Initiative Act, passed by the Science Committee and signed into law in 2018, and ensures the advancement of quantum science and technology in the United States. Keep reading to see what the bill’s supporters are saying.

"I applaud Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren for introducing their bill to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act. The NQI is the cornerstone of America’s national quantum strategy and helps ensure continued U.S. leadership, which is why IBM encourages its swift enactment and implementation. As quantum technology continues to evolve – and more countries invest billions towards deploying quantum technologies – we must ensure the U.S. is not only a leader in funding quantum information science but also in deploying and commercializing quantum systems at scale. This should include creating a comprehensive, national, whole-of-government effort to rapidly scale quantum technologies and build quantum centric supercomputers.” -  Dario Gil, SVP and Director, IBM Research

"HPE applauds the work of the bipartisan leadership of the Science Committee in authorizing the creation of a Quantum High Performance Computing Strategic Plan. In doing so, the Committee distinctly recognizes that quantum and classical computing are complimentary--not competitive--technologies. To apply the power of quantum computing to problems that we care about as a nation, we will need to first apply our most powerful accelerated classical computing to the holistic co design of hybrid quantum/classical systems. HPE looks forward to doing just that." - Andrew Wheeler, HPE Fellow & Vice President, Hewlett Packard Labs and HPC & AI Advanced Development, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

"Carnegie Mellon University applauds the bipartisan effort of the House Science Committee to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative. In addition to the strong coordinated multi-agency approach to research, the expansion of STEM-career and workforce building programs this measure supports is particularly critical to ensuring the US remains a leader in the development of this critical technology." - Carnegie Mellon University

“This legislation proposes many improvements and updates to the National Quantum Initiative Act that the computing research community will appreciate. In particular, the proposed emphasis on cooperative research among industry, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and other research institutions is essential for accelerating and sustaining the nation’s quantum research enterprise. The provisions on quantum education and workforce development are also crucial to address the country’s long-term needs for filling essential QIS roles within the nation’s research system.” - Nancy Amato, Chair, CRA Board of Directors, Computing Research Association 

“We applaud Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren for their efforts to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative. The draft bill language provides much-needed changes to U.S. quantum programs, including being inclusive of all quantum computing technologies and a balanced focus on near-term application development and longer-term hardware advancement. Our global leadership on quantum innovation hinges on reauthorizing and expanding the NQI. It is time for the U.S. government to begin using near-term quantum to help solve many of today’s challenging societal problems such as optimizing global supply chains, drug discovery, and sustainability. We urge expedited movement of this legislation.” - Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave

"The National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) reauthorization bill illustrates how policy can support technology leadership. While we wring our hands about artificial intelligence, it is good to know that pragmatism and technology promotion is the order of the day when it comes to quantum information science. Now, while this is an excellent—and necessary—first step, it is time for the Senate to prioritize the swift passage and enactment of the NQIA reauthorization bill to further catalyze innovation and propel the nation into the forefront of the technological landscape." - Hodan Omaar, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Data Innovation

“Quantum and high-performance computing offer exciting opportunities for industry leaders and the public sector to collaborate on forward-thinking partnerships, cutting-edge research and development, and key initiatives that promote future commercialization of quantum. ITI applauds House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for their leadership in the bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act and encourage Congress to advance this critical legislation.” - Jason Oxman, President and CEO, Information Technology Industry Council

"I’m grateful to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee for introducing a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative. The substantial federal investment provided by the initial bill in 2018 played a pivotal role in nurturing the U.S. quantum information science ecosystem. Recent developments in quantum research have unveiled entirely new platforms, architectures, and materials. At Princeton, we’re particularly appreciative for the robust support for the Department of Energy’s five National Quantum Information Research Centers. At the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage, led by Princeton professor of electrical and computer engineering Andrew Houck, we have seen the invention of new materials platforms for quantum computing arising from cross-disciplinary collaboration. These centers have spurred the research community to leverage DOE investments by bringing training to the National Laboratories and developing new, creative models for workforce development.  In the last few years, foreign competition in the quantum field has surged, including major investment by China. I appreciate the Committee’s strong support for the fundamental and translational research of these centers, which will provide the key ideas needed for the scaling of future quantum technologies by industry and allow the United States to maintain its leadership in this critical field." - Christopher Eisgruber, President, Princeton University

“Semiconductors are a key enabling technology for quantum systems. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act will set the stage for critical investment and innovation in quantum R&D and workforce development across government, industry, and academia for the years to come.” - Semiconductor Industry Association

“Quantum technology will revolutionize computing speed and memory. This next generation of computing—combined with AI—will accelerate and expand the benefits of both of these innovations and is critical to enhancing America’s security and economic competitiveness in a challenging international environment. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act takes a crucial step to achieving this promise by bolstering research and development, enhancing the quantum workforce, and helping facilitate the commercialization of quantum technologies. The Chamber appreciates the Committee’s commitment to advancing America’s technological leadership and looks forward to continued engagement on this important bipartisan legislation.” – U.S. Chamber of Commerce

“The Alliance for Digital Innovation supports efforts to promote the adoption of innovative commercial technologies by the federal government to enhance the quality and efficiency of services provided to our nation’s citizens. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act will build on our nation’s important work to date and leverage quantum in pursuit of research and solutions to difficult challenges. We applaud members of the House Science Committee for their bipartisan work to encourage public private partnerships and workforce development to advance quantum science and technology in the United States through this important legislation.” - Alliance for Digital Innovation

Additional letters of support and endorsements for the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act include:

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Permalink: https://science.house.gov/2023/11/support-grows-for-the-national-quantum-initiative-reauthorization-act