House lawmakers are discussing reauthorizing and updating the National Quantum Initiative, as federal officials warn that workforce funding gaps threaten efforts to sustain U.S. leadership in quantum science.
At a House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing Thursday, lawmakers sought input from federal agency leaders overseeing quantum information science efforts to assess funding needs and gather feedback on reauthorizing the initiative.
Chairman Brian Babin, R-Texas, said he is working with Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., on a bipartisan reauthorization of the initiative.
The National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, signed into law during the first Trump administration, established a 10-year national plan to accelerate the development of quantum information science and technology. The effort was led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DOE).
“The effort aims to reinforce U.S. leadership in quantum science and engineering, address workforce challenges, and accelerate commercialization,” Babin said.
Lofgren said the United States is at an inflection point. “We can renew our commitment to leadership through actions, not just words, or we can be left behind,” she said, calling reauthorization of the law critically important.
Workforce gaps shape reauthorization debate
As lawmakers prepare to update and reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative, federal officials warned that one of the most significant challenges facing U.S. efforts to advance quantum science is a growing workforce shortage.
James Kushmerick, director of NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory, said the talent gap is acute.
“We are in a workforce shortage – plain and simple,” he said. “I really think we need a whole-of-government effort to kind of increase the pipeline.”
Saul Gonzalez, deputy directorate head of NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, said NSF efforts have nearly doubled the number of students and faculty working on quantum information science since 2018.
“And still, the supply of talent is not keeping up with industry’s demand,” he said.
Tanner Crowder, the quantum information science lead in the DOE’s Office of Science, said broader training efforts across experience levels are needed to help address the talent shortage.
“We, bar none, just need to train more people across the talent spectrum – senior scientists, technicians, junior scientists – and make sure that we are able to place these people in good jobs once they actually get trained,” he said.
Some Democratic lawmakers warned that federal workforce reductions pushed by the Trump administration could undermine efforts to accelerate quantum research.
Lofgren said federal agencies involved in quantum research must be fully staffed and supported, and that funding should extend beyond programs specifically labeled “quantum.” She applauded Congress for rejecting proposed cutsn the latest spending bill but cautioned that the administration could try again in future budget requests.
“I hope the President’s fiscal year 2027 budget request is not a repeat of this year’s. If we’re going to win the race on quantum, we can’t only fund programs with ‘quantum’ in their name. Many fields and disciplines make up the backbone of U.S. quantum research and the quantum workforce,” Lofgren said.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., also criticized the administration intent to cut the budget of federal science agencies, saying it undermines the workforce pipelines.
“We can’t win a global technology race by hollowing out the institutions that recruit, educate, and retain talent,” she said, adding that funding cuts and staffing losses risk driving talent elsewhere.
As the House committee works on its proposal, Senate lawmakers earlier this month introduced a bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act.
The Senate bill would extend the initiative for five years through 2034, reauthorize key agency programs, and expand the initiative to include NASA research, such as quantum satellite communications and quantum sensing.