[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6245079,"mediaKeyId","3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430","parentId",3227205,"title","Committee hears national-security warnings: move to post-quantum cryptography and counter global competition","audioSeconds",831,"startMs",3113000,"endMs",3944000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430&start=3113&end=3944","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430/thumbnail_3113000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6245079/Committee-hears-national-security-warnings-move-to-post-quantum-cryptography-and-counter-global-competition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245079-a5ba3edae2cc9919137a228ea32f7537/orig.mp4?Expires=1770516473&Signature=bUHXxbQEAq6rGT-jv2sikpUGfvxV56LnIFdTXHwa3CqFy5yit4eUcRv1GJ9Z2xX1FBbh995aQmGcgboam8u5ssYOrbTWpB2rsxS2Wdy3Uzxm84G4Lzr1fZGkYm~zayL79z-YBFdLaYqqrDPVsWktoDUnXZh2IzSlFeUaPpxEp5~DsCI4Ld7I0czybV~ArmGyScXHjGotCprFwZlB83q6aJ006t1OZjyvmriXVf1ySbgbbiCawtTQmqfFTo7xthwmRiOmDFC~RlGO1mxwMbP1CjXDHkzoaOU5q5WbQ3iKu0oW2e9gVYLqxjPqdcSC0xbup16vQS7KWCQs0-Q5O9mNxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology","date","2025-05-08T05:26:09Z","article","Members of the House Science Committee pressed witnesses on national security implications of quantum computing and on timelines for migrating to post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

Pete Shadbolt of PsiQuantum told the committee that it is \"pretty clear\" large-scale quantum computers can be built and that those systems would threaten current public-key encryption such as RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography. He called NIST “the perfect organization” to develop PQC standards and emphasized that the rollout of new standards across banks, government, and critical infrastructure is a large operational exercise.

Committee members and witnesses repeatedly warned about the need to begin migration to quantum-resistant cryptography. When asked whether agencies and industry have time to prepare, witnesses said the transition should begin now because adversaries could capture and archive encrypted communications for later decryption. \"We have to start moving our networks to post-quantum cryptography now and protecting our networks, urgently,\" a witness testified.

Lawmakers raised broader strategic competition with China. Witnesses cautioned that dollar-to-dollar comparisons of government spending can be misleading because other countries may be investing in facilities and campuses outside standard research-budget accounting; nevertheless, witnesses urged that the U.S. maintain or increase investments so it does not cede leadership. Several witnesses said that federal agencies—particularly DOD, DOE, NSF and NIST—should be prioritized in any reauthorization to ensure the United States can meet both defensive and offensive needs.

Committee members asked about practical next steps: accelerate implementation of NIST PQC standards, fund agency assistance to industry for migration, and sustain research into error correction and scaling of quantum machines. Witnesses recommended that agencies provide resources to help critical infrastructure operators adopt PQC and that Congress act promptly on reauthorization to preserve options for federal action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","From Policy to Progress: How the National Quantum Initiative Shapes US Quantum Technology Leadership","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses told the House Science Committee that large-scale quantum computers threaten current public-key cryptography and that the U.S. must accelerate post-quantum cryptography adoption, while also investing to stay ahead of strategic competitors such as China.","taxTitle","Science, Space, and Technology: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1823,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6245084,"Lawmakers and witnesses warn cuts to NSF grants and STEM programs threaten U.S. quantum workforce",474,1376000,1850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430&start=1376&end=1850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","/articles/6245084/Lawmakers-and-witnesses-warn-cuts-to-NSF-grants-and-STEM-programs-threaten-US-quantum-workforce","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245084-58c41df7be4ab9e5008104064452f704/orig.mp4?Expires=1770516473&Signature=Nx6THDWGQtJ45i4L-s5ybtOMKBdkaceRiPiekafHGrj7zgp~Mj7wEPy2ASMgze-JPle0gpLHw7gbsRuMoDSTRERp7qzjodibiSyvMCtISx6LwPD5QcHf0~MJ98Vk9Rv7H~8FJqNJR~P8nsawGcJs-NTOp62UDc72V4SiS3Blu8~x84s6zOTZJefKTcS50hhNOyGzYqdrcf37uSgospvKTZbx~NeuxXDEMZrP3p-YdM9oGzHPXgoDjdfwwmum0rYjonztiuyaLXEMypATT7CBodUIC-LF2yjdbgbao~AmBQmsjkeGuM7zIS7XwWhLN4oPpL58nunSWL35XWX8NJPo9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the House Science Committee hearing, multiple members and witnesses warned that recent or prospective cuts to federal research and STEM education programs would damage the pipeline of talent the quantum industry needs.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren and other members cited the termination of nearly 1,500 active National Science Foundation grants and described impacts on physics and engineering education that feed the quantum workforce. \"If we think we can support quantum leadership while helping to destroy the workforce that feeds into the quantum industry, we are fooling ourselves,\" Lofgren said, criticizing grant terminations and urging bipartisanship to protect the science enterprise.

Witnesses described the range of skills quantum companies will need. Dr. Celia Mertzbacher of QEDC said companies require not only Ph.D. researchers but also technicians and engineers with associate or bachelor's level training. \"We must create a quantum ready workforce with a diversity of skills from Ph.D.s to technicians,\" she testified. Dr. Pete Shadbolt of PsiQuantum and Dr. Charles Tahan of Microsoft Quantum echoed that the field now needs welders, cryogenics technicians, packaging and semiconductor fabrication expertise as well as mathematicians and physicists.

Several witnesses pointed to existing programs and partnerships that could be expanded during a reauthorization. Mertzbacher recommended the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program for technician training and suggested that federal procurement of equipment (for example, cryostats or photonics test gear) could be coordinated to support regional training centers. Members from states with active university programs—North Carolina, California, Ohio, Oregon, and Colorado—described local hubs and asked how reauthorization could ensure national access to training and instrumentation.

The hearing included no committee vote; lawmakers and witnesses urged legislative action that would fund K–12 through community-college pathways and preserve basic research grants that underpin the talent pipeline.","Witnesses and members raised alarm over reported cuts to federal research and STEM education programs, saying reductions to NSF grants and other federal supports would undercut the pipeline of technicians, engineers and researchers needed for quantum industries.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6245086,"Industry witnesses urge federal purchases, testbeds and funding to move quantum from lab to market",95,1720000,1815000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430&start=1720&end=1815","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430/thumbnail_1720000.jpg","/articles/6245086/Industry-witnesses-urge-federal-purchases-testbeds-and-funding-to-move-quantum-from-lab-to-market","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245086-d0b108a305a6519218941b8793fc292e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770516473&Signature=Xnw0Oqacm8Qeovd9maV9nJh2TyOYKf0Sgn4d-dWmH3EWb9uTejzV1UlhKxEHjod7OCWLgX~saHorQNma2TxOK4rADyLw5Vug6WBQE2Y6hQ9SIqWARw~9g3giIxr4RNK2reNtkd24aEvpCGAQslQi8x7hMf~wfuNBkbLmdHcrG5koh4QcuEgCzGtj1Q2oBjeMaYpEqcwyEeKVF5309bx7ihcagi3RmvK62WDh2ME-FHr5VRTlyQ6mzyT2ZnLTsN3bAalr9poPltDLSkHAK5EM-AuHtiKBS6QS2XJ4Kw4Ews2m32Vxihtwmlq9FrWFIiN3FRjjIRKOuDgy7~nDiNRSLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Industry and consortium witnesses told the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee that the federal government can accelerate quantum commercialization by expanding access to testbeds, serving as an early customer, and supporting follow-on prototyping funding.

Celia Mertzbacher, executive director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QEDC), told lawmakers that small- and mid-sized companies most frequently identify access to customers and infrastructure as top barriers. \"Markets are small, and frankly, the killer app has not yet been identified,\" she said, urging modest government commitments to buy systems that meet specifications and thereby \"unleash private capital.\"

Witnesses recommended several concrete mechanisms. Mertzbacher cited reauthorizing and expanding SBIR-like seed funding and suggested follow-on prototyping through Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) modeled on the National Spectrum Consortium. She also recommended increased access to shared fabrication, characterization, and testing facilities so companies can prototype and mature products without building dedicated fabs.

Karina Chow, director and chief operating officer at Google Quantum AI, described Google’s fabrications in Santa Barbara and urged continued federal investment in research and test infrastructure that helped industry and academia collaborate on Josephson junction–based superconducting qubits. \"The National Quantum Initiative has helped to develop this technology and its reauthorization is critical to continued US leadership,\" Chow said.

Pete Shadbolt, cofounder and chief scientific officer at PsiQuantum, described a manufacturing strategy that leverages existing high-volume semiconductor supply chains and reported that his company makes wafers at GlobalFoundries Fab 8 in Upstate New York and will scale toward mass production. He and other witnesses pushed for federal programs to support onshoring of key components and to provide early-purchase commitments so suppliers can achieve scale.

The witnesses did not request a single specific procurement vehicle; instead they proposed a menu of options: advanced market commitments for validated systems, federal purchases of shared prototyping equipment placed at universities or regional hubs, and continued use of SBIR/STTR with new follow-on options. Committee members asked staff and witnesses about administrative details and potential budget implications; no formal procurement authority or statutory language was adopted at the hearing.","Executives from QEDC, Google, PsiQuantum and Microsoft told the House Science Committee that government procurement, shared fabrication and prototyping infrastructure, and targeted follow-on funding would accelerate commercialization of quantum technologies and attract private capital.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6245091,"House Science Committee hearing puts reauthorization of National Quantum Initiative at center of debate",1726,1120000,2846000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430&start=1120&end=2846","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3227205-0085a99d1996776e8d02847de0f78430/thumbnail_1120000.jpg","/articles/6245091/House-Science-Committee-hearing-puts-reauthorization-of-National-Quantum-Initiative-at-center-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245091-137156b6b044b6d01fe41894b324b8fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770516473&Signature=BMDrqvolNw7w63oACeQmllCOoEJI-pUYQFbOtfuBavQlSWTsGtvG4OYNqRMa4J0ATwaQRyqUsId6au0ipP8PuyzCtAdl~h~v2xdldMZwWTOGjhJDjBu076CI2Ha9~IPd1bhpSa81MDJj22~Wc9uIZe4x-KNU6x6pQvMhBij8-cd3yCMbQssI7b8GovyQVXQ6J3jUIUNBj1sMrxkawzQ~h-pAzhspWgAs2DNl7zu~EoV2gVQO4vkCIHtro3URfc8h0nM~2oVn6nk6VAD-0Hu4pj6HyErhE8JWLt8PGMM5gu-JqFFSJXJkG2UVQ8yRNomFtWLEDg7TVR--7thfdmMaKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a House Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing, Chairman Babin and lawmakers pressed for reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA), while industry and research witnesses urged Congress to expand the program to close gaps in funding, infrastructure, and workforce training.

The reauthorization push centered on testimony from Celia Mertzbacher, executive director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QEDC), and senior leaders from Google Quantum AI, PsiQuantum, and Microsoft Quantum. \"Quantum is having a moment,\" Mertzbacher told the committee, arguing that the NQIA created a public–private foundation that needs renewed authority and resources.

Why it matters: witnesses and members said the NQIA coordinates more than 20 federal agencies and helps translate basic research into commercial systems and workforce training that underpin economic and national security advantages. Mertzbacher told members that the NQIA helped build a pipeline of ideas and talent feeding private-sector companies and that reauthorization would allow Congress to fill gaps that have formed since 2018.

Industry witnesses described concrete steps they want in a reauthorization. Karina Chow, director and chief operating officer at Google Quantum AI, said the NQIA and related federal programs were critical to the field’s early advances and urged continued federal support. Pete Shadbolt, cofounder and chief scientific officer at PsiQuantum, recommended that reauthorization include provisions to \"compete and secure access to a utility-scale quantum computer\" for government science and research users and to increase funding for foundational research—particularly error correction and algorithm development. Charles Tahan, partner at Microsoft Quantum and former director of the National Quantum Coordination Office, told lawmakers the existing National Quantum Coordination Office model of embedding federal technical staff in OSTP was a useful coordination mechanism that the reauthorization should preserve and expand.

Members across the aisle emphasized the need to maintain federal leadership. Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren praised the bipartisan origins of the NQIA and said it had galvanized U.S. science and industry; multiple members described the reauthorization as a high priority for national security and economic competitiveness. Chairman Babin asked that stakeholder letters from IBM, the Quantum Industry Coalition, D-Wave, SIEK, and ITI be entered into the hearing record; by unanimous consent the committee ordered them submitted.

The hearing produced no committee vote on a bill; witnesses and members framed reauthorization as the primary legislative step needed to address workforce, infrastructure, supply-chain, and standards gaps identified during testimony. The record will remain open for additional comments and follow-up from members and witnesses.","Witnesses and committee members at a House Science, Space, and Technology hearing urged Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the National Quantum Initiative Act, saying reauthorization is needed to sustain federal coordination, accelerate commercialization, and protect U.S. leadership in quantum research and applications.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears national-security warnings: move to post-quantum cryptography and counter global competition

Lawmakers and witnesses warn cuts to NSF grants and STEM programs threaten U.S. quantum workforce

Industry witnesses urge federal purchases, testbeds and funding to move quantum from lab to market

House Science Committee hearing puts reauthorization of National Quantum Initiative at center of debate