Technology Experts Urge Congress to Secure U.S. Dominance in Technology
The need for U.S. innovation was emphasized as the subcommittee discussed ten bills around emerging technology.
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2026 – Technology experts emphasized in a House hearing Tuesday the importance of the U.S.’s continued dominance, especially over China, in the technological sector.
The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade discussed ten bills regarding technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and memory chips.
Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., said, “As we approach this 250 (year) landmark, we must continue to evaluate ways to foster innovation and enhance opportunities that we have been able to explore.”
Experts questioned included: Abundance Institute Head of AI Policy Neil Chilson; Boston Dynamics Chief Legal Officer Jason Fiorillo; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for Policy Marty Durbin; and Federation of American Scientists Chief Science Officer Jedidah Isler.
Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. explained, “Leadership in these fields will determine not only our economic competitiveness, but also our ability to safeguard our national security and maintain our strategic advantage over our adversaries.”
Fiorillo emphasized the need for the U.S. to dominate in robotics, explaining that robotics is a critical technology for the U.S.’s economy. If China dominates the field, it could use robots to collect data remotely and hinder manufacturing processes.
The committee expressed concerns regarding AI and China’s dominance in the Open-Source AI race because it can be used to rob American intellectual property, creating problems for America in the global market.
Chilson said, “The Chinese got ahead in the open-source space in part because they had no alternative. They cannot keep up with the frontier models that we build.” He noted that the U.S. does make quality closed models, but they are under companies and not readily accessible to startups or the public.
Concerned about Chinese dominance in AI, the House panel discussed the importance of making memory chips more accessible and affordable. Chip prices of DDR4 memory chips, used to temporarily store memory in computers, fuel AI processing and other technological processes, have spiked “700-800% year over year.”
Demand for these chips, with the rise of data centers and other technologies, remains strong. Durbin noted the importance of getting the supply chain back in balance and creating policies that allow increased supply of chips to promote technological innovation.
Other topics addressed were the anxiety Americans face around the expansion of AI and concerns over funding cuts to research that have taken place under the Trump Administration.
