House Science Chair Blasts Trump’s 2021 Tech R&D Budget Proposal
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…
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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.