Manuel Lujan: “Thanks to a bipartisan effort in the Commerce Committee, the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act includes…”

“Thanks to a bipartisan effort in the Commerce Committee, the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act includes nearly $17 billion to support research, development, and supply chain support at the Department of Energy National Laboratories, including key technology areas, such as high-performance computing, advanced energy technologies, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and advanced manufacturing. The House bill also includes robust support for our National Labs. This strong investment is critical to maintaining and strengthening U.S. competitiveness and security, especially as global R&D expenditures rise in these transformative industries. Our National Labs are a research crown jewel, and other countries are taking notice of our progress. In fact, China is working to build out their own national lab network modeled after our own DOE Labs. Inaction would leave the United States at risk of being rapidly outpaced. New Mexico's own Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories are leading the way in developing cutting-edge technologies in key focus areas and driving innovation in critical national priorities, such as next-generation microelectronics. The Department of Energy's experience working with universities, collaborating with the private sector, and protecting American intellectual property from theft makes it a pillar of the U.S. innovation ecosystem. Vote on Motion The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.…”