WASHINGTON — The United States needs to stay ahead of China when it comes to the field of sciences, says Sen. Todd Young.

“We are not going to allow the Chinese to dominate fields of research like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, advanced manufacturing and material science, advanced energy technologies,” Young said on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

You already know of Young’s bill called the Endless Frontiers Act. He’s partnering with Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer to push for more funding to be used to advance the field of sciences in the United States.

Now, instead of pushing for the bill to be passed outright on its own, Indiana’s Republican senator wants to include the bill in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Young said staying ahead in the field of sciences is a matter of national defense.

“It’s important the United States continues to lead,” said Young. “We’re still in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic and it’s quite clear that China intends to use this pandemic to its advantage.”

Young is sure of this based on a statement from the Chinese Academy of Sciences:

“It is possible to turn the crisis of COVID-19 into an opportunity to increase the trust and dependence of countries around the world in ‘Made in China’,” said the academy.

“We are not going to let that happen,” Young said in response. “The United States can and must continue to lead in these areas. It’s in our national security interests. It’s in our economic interests. That’s why the Endless Frontier Act is so important.”

Young and Schumer’s bill would appropriate a $100 billion strategic investment in the reformed and renamed National Science and Technology Foundation to bolster science and technology research and development.

It would also deliver $10 billion to establish regional tech hubs across the country to launch innovative companies, revive American manufacturing, and create new jobs to jump-start our local communities.