Senate Commerce Committee questions Michael Kratios on AI, quantum, NSF funding and spectrum policy

WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Michael Kratios, told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Feb. 12 that he would work to preserve U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other emerging technologies while coordinating federal agencies on research and deployment.

Kratios, appearing before a committee chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said OSTP’s role is to align the missions of agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation so federal actions advance both national security and commercial competitiveness. “I am committed to American leadership in emerging technologies,” Kratios said in his opening statement.

Why it matters: OSTP advises the president on science and technology priorities, including federal R&D spending, laboratory networks, and standards. Committee members pressed Kratios on several high-profile policy areas — budget priorities enacted under the CHIPS and Science Act, proposed cuts to the National Science Foundation, spectrum reallocation for 5G and other uses, and how OSTP would support test beds and workforce development to translate research into commercial and defense capabilities.

Kratios emphasized a “whole-of-government” approach: prioritize research and development in areas of national interest, remove regulatory barriers that block deployment, strengthen international engagement on standards, and invest in workforce training and fellowships. He said OSTP should support measurement science at NIST to develop test and evaluation methods for AI and other systems. “One of the most important things the federal government can do is support the measurement science necessary in order to be able to test and evaluate these models,” he told Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).

On federal budgets, Kratios declined to endorse or reject proposals circulating in the administration to sharply reduce the NSF top line; he said budget decisions are the president and OMB’s responsibility and that OSTP should focus on prioritizing how appropriated dollars are spent. “I will defer to the president and OMB as they decide those top lines,” he told Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the committee’s ranking member, when specifically asked about a reported two‑thirds cut to NSF.

Kratios described his prior service as U.S. chief technology officer and his work on spectrum policy, including the Ambit mid‑band effort to free spectrum for commercial use. He told Sen. Joni Ernst that compressing and relocating some defense workloads to lower bands has transition costs, but said technical analysis and interagency coordination can produce outcomes that protect national security while enabling commercial access. “If you bring the right technologist to bear…we can find a way that can benefit both the national security interest of the United States and the commercial interests,” he said.

Committee members also pressed him on specific programs and authorities: reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative, continued implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act’s R&D centers and test beds, OSTP’s role on the president’s National Energy Dominance Council, and the need to preserve technical expertise across federal labs and agencies. Kratios said OSTP houses the National Quantum Coordination Office and that reauthorization and closer lab‑to‑market translation are priorities. He called workforce development a constant pillar of technology strategy and said OSTP should use grants, fellowships and reskilling programs to expand the domestic talent pipeline.

Several senators framed the hearing in geopolitical terms, warning that China’s investments in quantum, fusion and AI heighten national security stakes. Kratios agreed, saying U.S. policy must both promote innovation and protect critical capabilities through exports and other measures, while ensuring successful technologies are fielded for defense uses. He repeatedly returned to the theme that OSTP’s comparative advantage is convening technical talent across government, industry and academia to align mission objectives and measurement approaches.

The committee will submit additional questions for the record; Kratios and the committee agreed on the need for further detail about the costs of spectrum relocation and implementation plans for quantum and AI test beds.

Looking ahead: If confirmed, Kratios would lead OSTP during a period of contested agency budgets and accelerated private‑sector advances in AI and quantum computing, with the office responsible for coordinating federal research priorities and measurement standards that underpin national and commercial deployments.