WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing the Endless Frontier Act, legislation to advance and solidify the United States’ leadership in scientific and technological innovation through increased investments in the discovery, creation, and manufacturing of technology critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. Romney serves as the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, and has led multiple efforts to improve U.S. strategy to better compete with and counter China’s influence.
As China seeks to pursue technological supremacy as a means to increase its power and spread its brand of authoritarianism abroad, the U.S. needs to shore up its own leadership in emerging technology and assure that China will not define the future of these technologies. The bipartisan legislation seeks to ensure new research investments translate into American industries, manufacturing, and high-tech jobs in regions across the country to become global centers of emerging technology. Text of the Endless Frontier Act be found here and a one-pager can be found here.
“China represents an enormous threat to freedom and liberal democracy,” Senator Romney said. “Under the Chinese Communist Party’s rule, China has very clearly and repeatedly expressed their ambition to dominate the world—to become the leading geopolitical, military, and economic power. The United States, with our partners and allies, must take decisive action now to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter China’s growing aggression. By spurring investment and innovation in technology and bolstering U.S. national security, the Endless Frontier Act will better position us to compete with China on the world stage.”
“I am proud to reintroduce the bold, bipartisan and bicameral Endless Frontier Act today with Senator Todd Young and Representatives Ro Khanna and Mike Gallagher to address several dangerous weak spots in America’s economic and national security that threaten our global technological leadership,” said Majority Leader Schumer. “This legislation will enhance American competitiveness with China and other countries by investing in American innovation, building up regions across the country to lead in the innovation economy, creating good-paying American manufacturing and high-tech jobs, and strengthening America’s research, development, and manufacturing capabilities. The Endless Frontier Act is the key to preserving America’s position on the world stage as a current and future technological leader in the 21st Century. In the coming weeks, the Senate will turn to this legislation and other pieces of bipartisan China related legislation to ensure that the U.S. Government’s hand at home and abroad is as strong as possible as we compete with China on all fronts.”
“We face a pivotal time in history. Right now, the Chinese Communist Party is emphasizing to the world that the United States is a divided nation. This is a rare opportunity to show the authoritarians in Beijing, and the rest of the world, that when it comes to our national security, and most importantly our China policy, we are united. The Endless Frontier Act is our path forward. I’ve worked with my colleagues to ensure the Endless Frontier Act will help invest in innovative small businesses that create jobs, invest in critical emerging technologies, and put America in a position to outgrow, out-innovate, and out-compete our leading geopolitical foe,” said Senator Young.
Background:
The Endless Frontier Act will reinvigorate the U.S. innovation economy, support research and development throughout the country, help lead to the creation of new jobs of the future here in America, and keep the U.S. economically competitive against China and other countries. Without a significant and sustained increase in investment in research, education and training, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and the broader U.S. innovation ecosystem across the nation, it is only a matter of time before America’s global competitors overtake the U.S. in terms of technological primacy, threatening national security and prosperity.
The Endless Frontier Act is cosponsored by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Rob Portman (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI).