National Quantum Initiative Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative Act, I wish to commend Chairman Smith on his six years at the helm of the Science Committee, and on his 32 years of dedicated service to the people of Texas' 21st Congressional District. It has been an honor to work with him. Because of his steadfast leadership, this bill is on its way to becoming law. I thank Chairman Smith.

This bill coordinates a federal program to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States. Quantum technology is a field positioned to fundamentally change the way we move and process data.

Theoretically, quantum computing could allow for the solutions to exponentially large problems--things that cannot be accomplished by even the fastest supercomputers today. It could allow us to visualize the structures of complex chemicals and materials, to model highly detailed flows of potential mass evacuations with precise accuracy, and to quantify subatomic interactions on the cutting edge of nuclear research.

Quantum computing may also have profound implications for cybersecurity technology. Should China and Russia beat us to achieving quantum encryption, our current security encryption measures would be rendered obsolete. It is imperative that the U.S. maintain its leadership in this field.

In order to achieve this kind of revolutionary improvement in technology, we need foundational knowledge in the advanced computing and materials science required to construct quantum systems.

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science is the leading federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and funds robust quantum technology research. At Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) allows scientists to run simulations of quantum architectures. At Argonne National Lab's Center for Nanoscale Materials, researchers study atomic-scale materials in order to engineer the characteristics of quantum information systems. And at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, scientists are applying their experience in high energy physics to the study of quantum materials. Earlier this year, I invited several of my colleagues to join me on a visit to Argonne and Fermi labs, and we had the privilege of speaking with the scientists conducting this groundbreaking research.

Support for basic research in computer science and for computational partnerships between industry, academia, and the national labs is necessary to develop the technology needed for future commercial quantum systems.

For these reasons, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6227.

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