On May 7, 2025, the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee hearing titled “From Policy to Progress: How the National Quantum Initiative Shapes U.S. Quantum Technology Leadership.” The hearing examined the state of U.S. quantum research, development, and technology and assessed the country’s competitive position globally, according to the committee’s hearing page.
Four witnesses testified: Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C); Dr. Charina Chou, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Google Quantum AI; Dr. Pete Shadbolt, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of PsiQuantum; and Dr. Charles Tahan, Partner at Microsoft Quantum, who previously served as the White House National Quantum Coordination Office director.
Committee Chair Brian Babin (R-TX) stated he looked forward to working with the administration to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act. Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said reauthorization was “past time.” Witnesses urged Congress to expand existing programs, act as an early buyer of quantum systems through advanced market commitments, invest in fabrication and test infrastructure, and expand the quantum talent pipeline. PsiQuantum’s Shadbolt called for a Department of Energy public-private collaboration to secure access to a utility-scale quantum computer for government research.
The hearing followed the December 2024 introduction of the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act in the Senate, which would authorize USD 2.7 billion in funding from fiscal years 2025 through 2029. A separate Senate bill, the DOE Quantum Leadership Act, recommended approximately USD 2.5 billion for quantum R&D at the Department of Energy. Neither bill had advanced to a vote at the time of the hearing. Chairman Babin noted that the administration’s budget proposal maintained quantum R&D funding at current levels at NSF and DOE.