Congress should do its job and legislate privacy, Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters Thursday, in response to a question about remarks from Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. The Republicans said Wednesday there’s currently no path forward for privacy talks (see 2003040052).

The Trump administration isn’t serious about maintaining a lead in science and technology, said House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, Thursday. The administration claimed its 2021 federal research and development budget proposal is a 6 percent increase for R&D, Johnson said during a hearing, but said the proposal is actually a 6 percent increase over last year’s proposal, which Congress rejected before appropriating increases for R&D. “So in truth, this Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal represents a 9 percent cut to R&D funding,” she said. Ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., disagreed, saying the 2021 budget request includes “bold proposals” for ensuring American leadership in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. He cited a doubling of funding for AI and quantum R&D over the next two years. He said Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier agrees American superiority in science and technology is fundamental to economic competitiveness and national security. Droegemeier testified that R&D investment was about $580 billion in 2018 and is over $600 billion today. That’s important because AI and quantum intersect with every sector of technology, he said, also citing the doubling of R&D investment by 2022.

The Trump administration isn’t serious about maintaining a lead in science and technology, said House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, Thursday. The administration claimed its 2021 federal research and development budget proposal is a 6 percent increase for R&D, Johnson said during a hearing, but said the proposal is actually a 6 percent increase over last year’s proposal, which Congress rejected before appropriating increases for R&D. “So in truth, this Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal represents a 9 percent cut to R&D funding,” she said. Ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., disagreed, saying the 2021 budget request includes “bold proposals” for ensuring American leadership in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. He cited a doubling of funding for AI and quantum R&D over the next two years. He said Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier agrees American superiority in science and technology is fundamental to economic competitiveness and national security. Droegemeier testified that R&D investment was about $580 billion in 2018 and is over $600 billion today. That’s important because AI and quantum intersect with every sector of technology, he said, also citing the doubling of R&D investment by 2022.

House Science Committee ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation that would establish a national science and technology strategy targeting Chinese threats. Citing risks of losing U.S. leads in quantum information science, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, Lucas introduced the Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act during a hearing Wednesday. It would authorize “doubling of basic research funding over the next 10 years at the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” He said in his opening remarks: “To support the industries of the future, we need workers with STEM skills at all levels.” Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, didn’t sign onto the bill, which has gotten only Republican support. “I do not want to cause any confusion about where I stand. I remain as firmly committed as ever to our investments across all fields of science and engineering as well as the humanities,” she said in prepared remarks, citing the need to maintain U.S. competitive advantages. America should be gearing policy and legislation to compete “effectively” in the 2030s, testified ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Futures. He cited AI trends suggesting China will overtake the U.S. in five to 10 years. On changes in R&D since 2000, “China has accounted for almost one-third of the total global growth,” testified National Science Board Chair Diane Souvaine. Georgia Institute of Technology Executive Vice President-Research Chaouki Abdallah urged a commitment “to the long-term increase and certainty in federal investment.”

House Science Committee ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation that would establish a national science and technology strategy targeting Chinese threats. Citing risks of losing U.S. leads in quantum information science, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, Lucas introduced the Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act during a hearing Wednesday. It would authorize “doubling of basic research funding over the next 10 years at the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” He said in his opening remarks: “To support the industries of the future, we need workers with STEM skills at all levels.” Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, didn’t sign onto the bill, which has gotten only Republican support. “I do not want to cause any confusion about where I stand. I remain as firmly committed as ever to our investments across all fields of science and engineering as well as the humanities,” she said in prepared remarks, citing the need to maintain U.S. competitive advantages. America should be gearing policy and legislation to compete “effectively” in the 2030s, testified ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Futures. He cited AI trends suggesting China will overtake the U.S. in five to 10 years. On changes in R&D since 2000, “China has accounted for almost one-third of the total global growth,” testified National Science Board Chair Diane Souvaine. Georgia Institute of Technology Executive Vice President-Research Chaouki Abdallah urged a commitment “to the long-term increase and certainty in federal investment.”

House Science Committee ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation that would establish a national science and technology strategy targeting Chinese threats. Citing risks of losing U.S. leads in quantum information science, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, Lucas introduced the Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act during a hearing Wednesday. It would authorize “doubling of basic research funding over the next 10 years at the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” He said in his opening remarks: “To support the industries of the future, we need workers with STEM skills at all levels.” Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, didn’t sign onto the bill, which has gotten only Republican support. “I do not want to cause any confusion about where I stand. I remain as firmly committed as ever to our investments across all fields of science and engineering as well as the humanities,” she said in prepared remarks, citing the need to maintain U.S. competitive advantages. America should be gearing policy and legislation to compete “effectively” in the 2030s, testified ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Futures. He cited AI trends suggesting China will overtake the U.S. in five to 10 years. On changes in R&D since 2000, “China has accounted for almost one-third of the total global growth,” testified National Science Board Chair Diane Souvaine. Georgia Institute of Technology Executive Vice President-Research Chaouki Abdallah urged a commitment “to the long-term increase and certainty in federal investment.”

Facebook’s unwillingness to ban or fact-check political commercials (see 2001090029) is grossly irresponsible and undermines democracy, said Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in interviews earlier this month. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., argued the company is right. He trusts Americas to “do their own fact-checking.”

Facebook’s unwillingness to ban or fact-check political commercials (see 2001090029) is grossly irresponsible and undermines democracy, said Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in interviews earlier this month. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., argued the company is right. He trusts Americas to “do their own fact-checking.”

Discussion about a federal moratorium on facial recognition technology remains open, House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told us Tuesday. “I’m hoping we can work out some legislation with the majority party, but we’ve been working on that for a year.” Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., “is interested, so we’ll see tomorrow. She seems very interested,” Jordan said. Maloney was elected chair after the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who was vocal on face-scanning issues. The committee plans a third hearing on the topic Wednesday. There’s “quite a bit of bipartisan consensus,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told us: Jordan “is actually quite passionate about this issue, as well. I think he’s coming from a very similar perspective trying to protect civil liberties and the right to our own face. It goes beyond government accountability.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he supports a moratorium until he’s convinced the technology won’t be used to profile or discriminate, and so far the evidence hasn’t suggested that. National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory Director Charles Romine, Future of Privacy Forum Senior Counsel Brenda Leong, New York University AI Now Institute co-Founder Meredith Whittaker, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Vice President Daniel Castro and Security Industry Association Senior Director-Government Relations Jake Parker will testify. Fight for the Future and Students for Sensible Drug Policy launched a campaign Tuesday to ban facial recognition from university campuses, arguing it decreases “security on campuses, and opens up a pandora’s box of privacy, civil liberties, and equity issues.”

Discussion about a federal moratorium on facial recognition technology remains open, House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told us Tuesday. “I’m hoping we can work out some legislation with the majority party, but we’ve been working on that for a year.” Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., “is interested, so we’ll see tomorrow. She seems very interested,” Jordan said. Maloney was elected chair after the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who was vocal on face-scanning issues. The committee plans a third hearing on the topic Wednesday. There’s “quite a bit of bipartisan consensus,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told us: Jordan “is actually quite passionate about this issue, as well. I think he’s coming from a very similar perspective trying to protect civil liberties and the right to our own face. It goes beyond government accountability.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he supports a moratorium until he’s convinced the technology won’t be used to profile or discriminate, and so far the evidence hasn’t suggested that. National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory Director Charles Romine, Future of Privacy Forum Senior Counsel Brenda Leong, New York University AI Now Institute co-Founder Meredith Whittaker, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Vice President Daniel Castro and Security Industry Association Senior Director-Government Relations Jake Parker will testify. Fight for the Future and Students for Sensible Drug Policy launched a campaign Tuesday to ban facial recognition from university campuses, arguing it decreases “security on campuses, and opens up a pandora’s box of privacy, civil liberties, and equity issues.”