Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The House Science Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative.
Why it matters: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the U.S. must stay competitive on quantum computing for its national and economic security, especially as other countries boost their investment in the emerging technology.
What they're saying: The committee "took a major step forward in passage of the bill to expand the National Quantum Initiative Act, advancing near-term quantum application development, being inclusive of all quantum tech, and fostering a new focus on commercialization and public sector use case identification," said Allison Schwartz, D-Wave global government relations leader.
Context: The NQIA expired Sept. 30, and this reauthorization bill aims to expand the scope of the law from supporting fundamental research and development to include applied research.
- The committee earlier this month passed over a dozen amendments to the bill before postponing the final vote when the House left early for Thanksgiving recess.
Yes, but: There is little appetite among House Republicans to increase government spending, and the bill's topline is $3.6 billion over five years.
