National Quantum Initiative Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative Act.

H.R. 6227 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, Mr. Speaker, to visualize the structures of complex chemicals and materials, to model highly detailed flows of potential mass evacuations with precise accuracy--with hurricanes abounding today, that is very, very important for us--and to quantify subatomic interactions on the cutting edge of nuclear research.

Quantum computing may also have profound implications for cybersecurity technology. And the gentlewoman from Texas alluded to this: Should China and Russia beat us to achieving quantum encryption, our current security encryption measures would be rendered obsolete. You heard Chairman Smith, in his remarks, say that we could possibly decode their encryptions in a matter of seconds, if not minutes.

It is absolutely imperative, Mr. Speaker, 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 those quantum systems.

The Department of Energy, the DOE, Office of Science is the leading Federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and 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 Laboratory'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 was privileged to invite several of my colleagues to join me on a visit to Argonne and Fermi labs, and we had the privilege of speaking with those very scientists conducting this groundbreaking research. It really is breathtaking and really is ground-shattering, if you ask me, in what it is going to do for science.

Support for basic research in computer science and for computational partnerships between industry, academia, and the national labs is absolutely 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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