Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement on the completion of several strategic reports compiled by the Department of Commerce regarding the state of American leadership in key emerging technology sectors.

“Over three years ago, Committee Republicans authored legislative proposals to secure American leadership in emerging technologies critical to our long-term global competitiveness, like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the ‘Internet of Things.’ Those bills became the bipartisan American COMPETE Act of 2020, which required the Department of Commerce to evaluate America’s competitiveness in emerging technologies.

“Ultimately, the best way to ensure the U.S. dominates in these vital technologies is by embracing innovation and entrepreneurship. That’s the American way. We'll never outspend China and trying to do so will only cede our leadership and technology future to the Chinese Communist Party. We will review these long-awaited reports and hope they will help us continue our efforts to strengthen American technological leadership and beat China."

NOTE: The American Competitiveness of a More Productive Emerging Tech Economy Act, or the American COMPETE Act, passed the House in 2020 and was included as part of H.R. 133, the Consolidation Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law No. 116-260).