▶ 0:14:00the subcommittee on research and technology will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the subcommittee at any time. I'd like to start by recognizing myself for five minutes for an opening statement. I would like to thank everyone for being here. I'm really excited about this hearing uh entitled Robots Made in America: Advancing US Leadership in Manufacturing and Automation. Robotics have catalyzed the American economy for over a century.
▶ 0:14:28Articulated robots with joints like human arms have long served as essential components for handling, welding, and assembly in industrial manufacturing. Robotics is critical to industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to space exploration and healthcare. The potential for robots to assist and enhance human capabilities is vast and a new phase of advancement is underway. For many years, humanoid robots were seen as the stuff of science fiction.
▶ 0:14:58But with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, so-called physical AI, the integration of AI into robotic systems may be the key to unlocking new ways to deploy robotics across the United States. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's AI action plan notes the importance of this intersection between AI and robotics. Physical AI could unleash a robotics renaissance and America must remain at the forefront.
▶ 0:15:27The United States must act decisively. The Chinese Communist Party has invested billions in its robotics industry and has pursued an aggressive strategy to dominate the global market. As technologies like physical AI advance, it is more important than ever for the United States to adopt a national robotics strategy to support manufacturing, bolster our economy, and assist the American worker. That is why earlier this year I introduced the National Commission on Robotics Act.
▶ 0:15:57This bipartisan legislation would establish a national commission tasked with evaluating the United States's competitiveness in robotics. The commission comprised of experts from academia, industry, and the public sector, would provide policy recommendations to strengthen American leadership in robotics, helping Congress develop forward-looking policies that keep America competitive in this new era of innovation.
▶ 0:16:23A new vision for robotics could help solve labor shortages, increase US productivity in manufacturing, and support logistics. In the future, humanoid robots could serve as caretakers for the elderly or act as supplemental workers that assist humans in performing the most physically demanding tasks in factories, thereby protecting the health of American workers. Academic institution across our country play a central role in advancing robotics research.
▶ 0:16:50The National Science Foundation invests in fundamental research in robotics through its foundational research in robotics program which supports robotic systems with both computational capability and physical complexity. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is also critical in developing standards for safety and innovation. Together, these efforts support key areas of research and development, including collaborative robots, dextrous manipulation, mobility, and industrial autonomous vehicles.
▶ 0:17:21Robotics research and innovation are essential to maintaining America's leadership and technological advancement. Understanding the current state of robotics in the United States will help inform this committee's work as we consider a national robotics strategy. I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here and I appreciate their willingness to help the subcommittee assess US robotics research and development. I'd like to now recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee, Representative Stevens of Michigan, for five minutes for her opening statement.
▶ 0:17:55Thank you, Chairman Obernoli, and of thank you to all of our incredible witnesses uh for being here today. this is going to be the hearing. And I will just say for decades, Michigan's auto industry has um led the the world in um engineering, manufacturing, and safe adoption of robotics. Uh fun fact, industrial robots were deployed in General Motors plants as early as 1961.
▶ 0:18:26And so over the decades, uh, the United Auto Workers have negotiated thoughtful robotic adoption policies that have protected workers, improved safety, and raised wages. And the robotics manufacturing we once pioneered in the United States is now being accelerated abroad. And our industry faces some unique threats and challenges. Just a few years ago, Chinese robotics barely registered on the global stage.
▶ 0:18:56Today, according to the International Federation of Robotics, China is the global leader in the manufacturing, adoption, and export of industrial robotics. China now uh also through a concerted effort controls much of the world's robotics supply chain.
▶ 0:19:13As a result of decades of Chinese investment, many US manufacturers and even our bestinclass robotics in academia um are now dependent on China to research, develop, and deploy robotics and other supply chain supported technologies. As Michigan's, you know, kind of self-proclaimed manufacturing geek who's visited over 200 uh small and mid-size manufacturers, I know we can fix this.
▶ 0:19:40Uh but uh I also know that we do uh face some challenges that we need to be honest about. We no longer have the capacity we once did to manufacture uh robots at scale. America is home to the best and brightest AI scientists who are developing the brains that is the software behind these robots. Yet our country does not have a single advanced robotics foundry.
▶ 0:20:07When robots are made in the US, they're often assembled with Chinese parts. We also face an adoption challenge. 98% of US manufacturers are small and medium-sized companies that often lack the finances and expertise to adopt advanced manufacturing technologies like robotics into their workflows. These challenges have been exacerbated by the choices of this administration.
▶ 0:20:30Reckless tariffs, which I hear about on every manufacturing floor I visit, are right are raising costs on US businesses and diverting their limited resources. Further, for two years in a row, the administration has sought to end the manufacturing extension partnership, a critical program that seeks to help small manufacturers address these problems. If our nation continues on this path, cheap robotics and components from abroad will continue to flood our markets and displace American manufacturers and jobs.
▶ 0:21:00This is not an outcome we should accept. We are at an inflection point. AI powered robotics promise to revolutionize the manufacturing sector. Therefore, it is vital that workers have a seat at the table as these policies are negotiated just like the UAW did when robots first came into our auto plants. Congress must also act and ensure that these technologies enhance rather than replace jobs.
▶ 0:21:29I'm confident we can find common ground to keep America competitive, support American workers, and ensure that when the world buys the robots of tomorrow, they are designed, engineered, and built right here in America, preferably in Michigan. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, and okay, I just want to recognize all of our guests because you're all so cool, but some of you are very special to me. Um, thank you, Mr.
▶ 0:21:58uh bursting for being here um and for your great organization. You're a Michigander and we're glad you traveled from the Great Lakes area to be here. Speaking of Great Lakes, Dr. Halper, um it's wonderful to see you again. I so value and cherish the time that we spent together in the Obama administration on manufacturing issues. It's also great to see you, Michael Robbins. And thank you, Mr. Evan Beard, for your innovation and dedication to American manufacturing. And with that, Mr. Chair, I'll yield back. Well, thank you.
▶ 0:22:28Thank you, Member Stevens. I now recognize the chairman of the full committee, Representative Babin of Texas for five minutes for his opening statement.
▶ 0:22:34Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank all of our witnesses here. Looking very much forward to hearing your your testimony. Uh uh robotics is not a new field. American engineers have built industrial robots since the midentth century, and today those machines are the backbone of US manufacturing.
▶ 0:22:54What is new is the convergence of artificial intelligence with robotics, opening the door to machines that can perceive, adapt, and operate in unstructured environments far beyond the factory floor. This convergence matters for two reasons. First, it represents an enormous economic opportunity.
▶ 0:23:14From warehouses and logistics to agriculture, construction and health care, intelligent robots have the potential to boost American productivity, fill labor gaps, and to create entirely new industries. Second, robotics is a domain of intense strategic competition.
▶ 0:23:32The Chinese Communist Party made robotics a national priority, committing over 100 billion dollars to technologies, including robotics, and supporting roughly 140 firms focused on humanoid robots alone. American companies are already driving innovation in robotics. Firms across the country are developing robots for everything from last mile delivery to elder care and disaster response.
▶ 0:24:01Standard Bots, Industrial Robots, Tesla's Optimus Humanoid, Boston Dynamics Atlas program platform, and a growing ecosystem of startups show that American industry recognizes uh the opportunity which is at hand. The question for Congress is whether our federal research and policy infrastructure is keeping pace with that private sector ambition. But we should also be cleareyed about where our supply chains stand.
▶ 0:24:32Too many of the components that go into American robots such as sensors and actuators and chips are sourced from abroad, including from adversarial nations. If we want to build a strong domestic robot robotics industry, we need to understand where those vulnerabilities are and to take steps to address them. The Trump administration's convening of robotics companies last month was a very good start. I look forward to hearing what came out of those discussions.
▶ 0:25:02Furthermore, agencies within this committee's jurisdiction are already doing important work. The administration's AI action plan noted uh the link between AI and robotics and the American manufacturing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology researches collaborative robots, autonomous vehicles, and robotic perception and manipulation.
▶ 0:25:27In fact, as robots move from controlled factory settings into less predictable environments, homes, hospitals, and public spaces, the need for safety standards will become even more critical. Getting the standards right early will help American companies lead globally rather than play catch-up in foreign regulatory frameworks, making NIST's work all that much more important. These are encouraging steps from this committee's agencies.
▶ 0:25:56But as these technologies advanced advanced so much to our workforce, building, programming, and maintaining intelligent robots require skills spanning mechanical engineering, computer science, and AI. Our universities and technical colleges will be central in preparing the next generation of American workers for these jobs, and federal research partnerships with academia are a key part of that pipeline.
▶ 0:26:24I'm interested in hearing from our witnesses today about whether current training programs are keeping pace with what employers actually need on the factory floor. But Congress must also understand where these gaps are in research and workforce development standards and policies that will determine whether the next generation of robotics is built in America are imported from abroad.
▶ 0:26:49I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the most promising areas of US robotics research, the challenges facing our innovators, and what role Congress will be playing in ensuring American leadership in this field. I want to thank Chairman Obernoli for his support and efforts in advancing American robotics. And I thank you all and appreciate and yield back my the balance of my time.
▶ 0:27:12Thank you, Chairman Babin. I now recognize the ranking member of the full committee, Representative Lafrren of California for five minutes for her opening statement.
▶ 0:27:20Well, I want to thank you, Chairman Obernelti, and ranking member Stevens uh for this hearing and also thank our panel of expert witnesses. You know, a significant uh progress in artificial intelligence has led to major innovation in robotics. uh computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning have accelerated robotics development and allowed robots uh to be deployed in new environments and use cases.
▶ 0:27:47AI techniques have also accelerated the intelligence of fixed robots, enabling people to safely and easily uh control and work alongside them. Now, my district is uh half Silicon Valley and half a and so I've seen robotics in both environments and they're important and they're part of uh the future uh in in both regions.
▶ 0:28:11Uh but unfortunately the significant policy interest in the software hasn't been matched uh by the policies needed to advance the full robotic systems. recent administrations and I'd say both Democratic and Republican have prioritized AI development while underinvesting in hardware development.
▶ 0:28:32Uh the National Robotics Initiative, which was started by the Obama administration in 2011 to coordinate federal investment in robotics R&D, was phased out in 2022. And the current administration's AI action plan included just one recommendation on robotics development as part of a longer list of nextgen manufacturing technologies.
▶ 0:28:55Now while individual science agencies continue to make investments in robotics, there's no coherent strategy uh for US leadership and as the chairman of the committee has mentioned, China has raised ahead to claim that leadership position. Uh the message is simple. To reclaim our leadership in robotics, innovation and manufacturing, we need to invest in both the brains and the bodies of these systems. We must also invest in solving the tricky problems at the intersection of the two.
▶ 0:29:26Here's an example. We have a long history of developing and implementing occupational safety standards for the use of fixed robotic systems that work alongside humans in our factories. But most of these industrial safety protections don't account for advanced robotic systems that use AI and have variable decision-making. Further, many companies are starting to talk about putting robots in places where no safety standards exist.
▶ 0:29:53For example, in our homes or in elder care facilities. We have to have a serious conversation about what safety means for robotics deployed in those settings before they cause physical harm. is bad enough when a delivery robot shatters a bus stop shelter. Imagine the consequences of having a 200 pound robot in your elderly parents living space without song strong safety standards. Another major challenge is data.
▶ 0:30:22One of the major reasons for AI's advancement in recent years is the broad availability of data to train AI systems. Computer vision was helped by access to images on the internet and large language model development was improved by access to Wikipedia. However, until relatively recently, there were very few equivalents for training of physical robotic systems. Some US organizations are trying to address this problem.
▶ 0:30:49Some uh individual US companies are developing data sets for the robotic systems. Over 21 academic institutions including my alma mater Stanford University have partnered to build large data sets for specific robotic tasks. But this effort is being undertaken without any federal support.
▶ 0:31:10If we compare these relatively limited efforts to the national efforts going on in the People's Republic of China to generate robotics data, we lose. The country uh has that country has launched data sharing initiatives, data factories where humans train robots by performing tasks and efforts to standardize training data sets and pipelines for robotics. We can and still must lead in the field of robotics.
▶ 0:31:38But to achieve that goal, we need a concerted national effort to support innovation across the full robotics system. I think this hearing is an important part of assessing the challenges and opportunities in robotics and I I thank once again the chairman and ranking member for organizing this and I know it's part of our effort to regain and keep our lead. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my
▶ 0:32:06Well, thank you, Ranking Member Lafrren. That concludes our opening statements. We'll now move on to witness testimony. Our first witness is Mr. Evan Beard, co-founder, CEO, and chief engineer of Standard Bots, America's largest industrial robot manufacturer. Mr. Beard, you are recognized for five Chair Ben Obernolulti, Ranking Member Stevens, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for having me today.
▶ 0:32:34My name is Evan Beard and I'm co-founder, CEO, and chief engineer of StandardBots, America's largest industrial robot manufacturer. At Standard Bots, we make robots accessible and affordable so that every American manufacturer can put robots to good use. Our AI native robots require no code to program and take on tasks that legacy robots can't handle, allowing every worker to be a builder and operator of robots. We believe AI native robots are the essential power tool of the 21st century.
▶ 0:33:03The tool that will grow American manufacturing and help every worker to be a force at work. Manufacturing is a formidable part of the economy. Yes. But when you also count affiliated suppliers and services, the real footprint is even bigger. Roughly a third of the US economy and a third of American jobs. For every one manufacturing worker, another five are directly supported by manufacturing. But for four decades, American has shed manufacturing jobs and as a result hollowed out its middle class.
▶ 0:33:33We've gone from 20 million manufacturing workers in 1979 to only 13 million today. And that's why this isn't just a factory worker problem. When manufacturing weakens, wages fall and upward mobility narrows across whole regions, even among those who never set foot in a factory. A strong manufacturing base isn't just nostalgia. It's how millions and millions of people in this country build a good life.
▶ 0:33:59For our part, we've deployed industrial robots to hundreds of American companies in nearly every state, from generational small businesses in the heartland to some of the country's largest manufacturers in oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, and data centers. And what they all share is this, and the research supports this. Manufacturing becomes more competitive when they put robots to work. And competitiveness is the key that unlocks company growth, job growth, and wage growth.
▶ 0:34:27But we find ourselves in a dire position today. The United States is no longer competitive in manufacturing. And we're falling further behind every day. Any company that builds hardware here can tell you that if you source from China instead of making things here, it can be 5 to 10 times cheaper. And it's not just because of their lower labor costs. It's because of China's national investment in robotics. Last year, China installed nearly nine times nine times the number of robots that we did.
▶ 0:34:56And this isn't just about economics. It's also a matter of national security. Foreignade robots could carry back doors at the firmware level, capable of remotely shutting down American factories. Foreign adversary powered AI cameras inside our facilities could see everything that we build. A robotics are changing everything right now.
▶ 0:35:16And it's possible at this moment for the United States to revitalize our manufacturing base if we become the worldwide leader in these transformative We need a national robotic strategy. Why government partnership? Because other governments have already distorted the free market. When your competitor is state subsidized, Lasfair isn't a level playing field.
▶ 0:35:37It's unilateral So based on a decade building standard bots and discussions with hundreds of US manufacturers, our written testimony outlines a practical four-part plan. One, build American robots and put them to work in American factories. Two, establish a center of robotics and manufacturing excellence in every state. Three, train Americans next generation manufacturing workforce. And four, defend American manufacturing from foreign market manipulation.
▶ 0:36:08I want to bring this to close on a personal note. I have five children, all eight and under. And when I talk about bringing manufacturing back, some people still picture the 1950s, dull and dirty and dangerous. Um, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can build manufacturing that's skilled, that's safe, that's well- paid. Americans working with AI native robots to make what this country can't afford to let others dominate. semiconductors, medicines, defense systems, energy infrastructure, and so much more.
▶ 0:36:39Millions of new jobs. I want my kids to grow up in a country that still makes things. I want them to have that choice, and I want America once again to be the most competitive place on earth to build. Thank you for the opportunity to testify and look forward to your
▶ 0:36:55Thank you, Mr. Beard. Our next witness is Mr. Jeff Bernstein, the president of the Association for Advancing Automation, a North American trade association representing over 1,400 companies involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, motion control, and related automation technologies. A3 is the world's largest robotics and automation trade group and sponsors the annual automotive show, North America's largest robotics, I'm sorry, automate show.
▶ 0:37:25North America's largest robotics and automation trade show and conference. Mr. Bernstein, you are recognized for five minutes. Thank you, Chairman Obernaldi and ranking member Stevens and members of the subcommittee for this opportunity to discuss the state of the robotics industry in the US and how we can regain our leadership in this critical technology arena. I'm speaking today with the benefit of having spent 45 years in the robotics industry.
▶ 0:37:53The fact that each of you, your colleagues in Congress in the administration are discussing the importance of robotics suggests that a new era of American leadership may be on the horizon. And thank you both Chairman Obernolulti and ranking member Stevens for expanding the Congressional Robotics Caucus last year and for being its newest co-chairs. America created the robotics industry.
▶ 0:38:18The world's first robot company, Unimation, was founded in the US in The first industrial robot was installed in a GM plant in 1961. Despite being built as the next industrial revolution, the robotics industry struggled to find acceptance in the US. Robot companies faced challenges such as worker protest due to fear of job loss.
▶ 0:38:44I believe those fears also prevented the US government from offering support to the industry despite warnings that leadership would be lost if we didn't act. Instead, it was the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry that developed a n a national strategy to help support Japanese robot makers and researchers and users. In the 1980s, Japan surpassed the US in both robot manufacturing and adoption.
▶ 0:39:12Due to its national strategy, China now leads the world, installing nearly 10 times more robots annually than the US. China's installed base of over two million robots is five times larger than the US, and their lead is growing. I'm often asked, is it too late for America to regain its leadership in robotics? My answer is no. But we need to act now.
▶ 0:39:38The powerful combination of robots with AI, physical AI, has the potential to transform every industry and assist in solving major societal challenges. No country can win the AI race without also leading in robotics. To make this vision a reality, we must prepare the American workforce for a manufacturing renaissance.
▶ 0:40:00While fears of job losses are often raised, if we succumb to those fears without understanding the realities of our labor force, we'll fall further behind our global competitors. Make no mistake, the US labor market cannot meet current manufacturing demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are manufacturing job vacancies in America today.
▶ 0:40:24A recent study from the manufacturing institute in deote says there could be 1.9 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2033. Our association is working to upskill the workforce through training and certification programs that prepare people to become robot operators, technicians and supervisors. But we can't do this alone. Even with more skilled workers, we can't reshore manufacturing at scale without a massive increase in robot adoption.
▶ 0:40:56Robots do the dull, dirty, and dangerous work that people don't want to do and shouldn't have to do. Today, exciting US robotics companies are gaining traction in every industry. Our robotics and AI programs at major universities are second to none. New robot startups pop up every day. Robot manufacturers are increasing their investments in the US and American innovation in robotics is once again on full display.
▶ 0:41:24There's definitely reason for optimism about the future of the US robotics industry. Our vision for a national robotics strategy includes six major actions the US can take to reassert its leadership in robotics. Number one, establish a central government robotics office. A3 strongly supports the administration's attention to robotics and its consideration of an executive order that could appoint a central coordinator and spur agency action across government.
▶ 0:41:55In parallel, A3 urges congressional passage of HR 7334, the National Commission on Robotics Act. Number two, implement tax incentives to drive adoption. Robot adoption is the key to all we want to achieve to regain leadership. Conversely, tariffs on foreign robots and components from our key allies will slow down adoption.
▶ 0:42:20Number three, government agencies should become leading adopters of robotics to set an example. Number four, establish and expand government funded workforce training programs. Number five, fund academic research and commercial innovation. And number six, encourage the development of new standards and voluntary best practices. America once led the world in robotics. With your leadership, I believe it can do so again. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 0:42:51Bernstein. Our next [clears throat] witness is Michael Robbins, president and chief executive officer at the Association for Uncrudeed Vehicle Systems International, the world's largest trade association for uncrrewed systems, robotics, and autonomous technologies. representing companies in both the commercial and defense sectors. Mr. Robbins, you are recognized for five minutes for your testimony.
▶ 0:43:13Chair Ben Obernalty, ranking member Stevens, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Michael Robbins. I am the president and CEO of AVSI, the world's largest associate largest trade association of robotics, drones, and autonomous technologies. And our members build and deploy advanced systems across the air, ground, and maritime domains and commercial and defense. And the central point I want to leave the sub with the subcommittee with today is this.
▶ 0:43:39Robotics is becoming a foundational layer of economic power, manufacturing strength, and national security. It is therefore imperative that Congress take action to ensure the United States robotics industry can compete and win on the global playing field. We are entering an era of embodied AI or physical AI where AI is the brain and robotics is the body. And today, America may still be winning the race to build the brains. But we are losing the race to build and deploy the bodies.
▶ 0:44:08You may have seen in the news this past weekend, there was a literal robotics race in Beijing this past weekend where a Chinese humanoid finished a half marathon faster than the human world record. And that metaphor, it writes itself, we are in a robotics race with China. And right now they are moving with speed, scale, and national purpose. Today only 8% of US manufacturing firms have incorporated robotics at all. And most of those robots were not made in America.
▶ 0:44:34Meanwhile, each year, China is installing more industrial robots than the rest of the world combined, and now controls over 80% of the global humanoid robot market. These statistics are a national wakeup call. If we lead in software, but hardware is designed, built, and deployed by our adversaries, we have not won. We have merely created a more intelligent dependence. And today, the PRC is executing the same strategy and robotics that it used to crush the American commercial drone industry.
▶ 0:45:01And China's five new five-year plan is a whole of nation push to lead in robotics and embodied AI through scale manufacturing adoption and state subsidized dumping. Backed by a $137 billion state venture fund, subsidized below Chinese robots are flooding into the United States to win market share, distorting the playing field to drive American robot manufacturers out of business. And we cannot let this happen. And to be clear, this is not just an economic concern. It is a matter of national security.
▶ 0:45:30When adversary linked physical AI systems are deployed in sensitive sites, they create openings for surveillance, persistent access, remote disruption, and even physical harm. PRC laws compel these companies to serve as instruments of state intelligence so that each Chinese robot in America is a potential Trojan horse. Further, these technologies are dual use. The People's Liberation Army is already moving to militarized robotics, including arming robot dogs benefiting from the PRC's military civil fusion strategy.
▶ 0:46:01So when we talk about robots made in America, we must focus on ensuring a level playing field. And that means industrial capacity, resilient supply chains, domestic deployment, and control over technologies that will shape economic power and defense capability. The window of opportunity for the US to lead in robotics is open, but it is closing fast. And to lead, we must give American companies a fair shot, not force them to compete against the full weight of the Chinese state.
▶ 0:46:26We must pair carrots with sticks in policy actions, which we lay out in detail in AUVSI's recently released partnership for robotics competitiveness. First, strategy. But proverb uh 298 on the wall behind you, where there is no vision, the people perish. When there is no strategy, the jobs perish. So, we need a strategy. The United States needs our own whole of nation approach. And that starts with a coordinated national robotic strategy that aligns research, manufacturing, deployment, workforce, and supply chain security.
▶ 0:46:56As part of this, we urge Congress to pass Cher Chairman Albernalty's National Robotics Commission Act to align federal research with industrial policy and workforce development. Second, adoption. We must accelerate robotics adoption here at home through rapid deployment environments, robotic centers, and programs ties to NIST and the manufacturing extension partnership. This requires a level playing field for US robotic companies and implementation of production tax credits, lowcost finance, the use of advanced market commitments, and federal procurement incentives to catalyze robots made in America.
▶ 0:47:26Third, national security. Congress must pass clear riskbased restrictions for adversary link systems and enabling technologies like the American Security Robotics Act, which is an obvious extension of actions already taken by Congress to address the national security threats from PRC drones. Fourth, industrial policy. We need a broader industrial policy for the full robotics and autonomy stack, especially for critical inputs like rare earth magnets, sensors, and advanced components.
▶ 0:47:52We must break the PRC's chokeold on critical inputs, and derisk private capital investment to stimulate domestic manufacturing and job creating. If we get this right, robotics, autonomy, and physical AI can strengthen American manufacturing, create new highwage jobs, reinforce our industrial base, and improve our long-term security and competitiveness. If we get this wrong, we risk becoming dependent on the PRC for the very systems that will define the next generation of industrial and strategic power. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:48:22Thank you, Mr. Robbins. Our final witness is Dr. Susan Halper, the Carlton Professor of Economics at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management. Her research focuses on the impacts of organization and supply chain structure on innovation, job quality, and sustainability, especially in the manufacturing sector. She has a BA from Oberlin College and a PhD in economics from Harvard University. Dr. Helper, you are recognized for five minutes for your testimony.
▶ 0:48:50Uh, thank you very much, Chairman Oloti and Ranking Member Stevens and distinguished members. Uh, my written statement makes three arguments. Uh, first, robotics can solve two urgent problems facing American manufacturing, a workforce crisis and a competitiveness crisis. Uh second, whether robotics delivers on that promise depends importantly on how the technology is deployed.
▶ 0:49:15And third, building a domestic robotics industry and building a stronger manufacturing base are not separate goals. They're mutually In my remarks today, I'll focus on the second point that how we deploy robots is a key policy question.
▶ 0:49:30Uh the choices we make uh will determine whether robots help deliver broadly shared prosperity or simply shifts costs onto workers and Um the evidence is consistent that automation is designed to augment workers outperformed automation that's designed to replace them for both firms and workers.
▶ 0:49:54when uh robots handle the most dangerous tasks uh and workers are equipped with the skills, authority and tools to solve problems and suggest improvements, firms get faster error detection, more flexible production and higher quality output. Workers get better jobs.
▶ 0:50:15Um the alternative, a narrow substitution model where the worker's role is just handing a part to a robot in the correct orientation sacrifices exactly the experiential shop floor knowledge that separates good manufacturing from great manufacturing. Um I think we've heard some examples of of what real worker center design can look like from standard bots uh where workers can program themselves using low code or no code interfaces.
▶ 0:50:42Um the broader point is that technology design choices and implementation choices are under our control and policy can help. Um let what should Congress do? Uh let me highlight two policy areas.
▶ 0:51:02Uh first is uh the most effective robotics implementations bring together engineers, managers, workers and unions from the beginning and not as an Um to implement robots, we need not just you know sticking a robot on a floor but redesigning the production process.
▶ 0:51:24Um and Congress could fund small and targeted grants that convene these robot manufacturers, researchers, engineers, and labor representatives to design automation that achieves both firms and workers goals. Uh effective participatory design requires giving workers adequate training and compensation for their input, treating it as a skilled contribution it is.
▶ 0:51:49Um a key here is to really build a community of practice to build a uh synergies uh between the robot designers and the uh robot users. If we have a big installed base uh we can do better things like um error detection uh understanding new needs. Um so these these things need to move together.
▶ 0:52:12Um, and I guess I would uh rather than tax breaks, I'd rather see us spend money on doing things like developing test beds or resource centers where these groups can come together, a physical place where they could come together and do this. Um, the second priority is workforce policy. Um, I think the problem is not primarily one of image, it's one of reality. Manufacturing wages have not kept pace for with productivity for three decades.
▶ 0:52:40uh the manufacturing wage premium has essentially disappeared. Uh so the solution is not just an image campaign. It's to improve the underlying reality. It's better pay, better job design and organizational structures that give workers real roles in process Uh the department of energy's battery workforce initiative offers an instructive model.
▶ 0:53:05uh employers, unions, researchers, and training providers jointly design new occupations and curricula from the ground up. Uh that collaborative approach should be replicated for robotics. Um and Congress should support joint design of occupations such as a technologist. There's some work going on at MIT.
▶ 0:53:24Uh and not training programs that ask workers to fit themselves into job definitions set unilaterally by The United States has the research institutions, the innovative firms, and the workforce potential to lead in robotics. Worker- centered automation is not a constraint on competitiveness. It is a strategy for competitiveness.
▶ 0:53:46The policies that support co-design of technology, shared problem solving, and good jobs in manufacturing are the same policies that will make American firms and American workers the most productive and adaptable in the world. Um, I welcome the subcommittee's questions and my written statement has u additional detail on potential ideas around financing, supply chains and coordination policies. Thank you.
▶ 0:54:09Well, thank you Dr. Helper. That concludes our witness testimony. We will now move to questions from members of the subcommittee and I will start by recognizing myself for five minutes for questions. Mr. Bernstein, I'd like to start with you. I know that A3 has called for the creation of a central government robotics office. you highlighted that in your testimony as well as a robotics commission.
▶ 0:54:31Thank you for highlighting my bill uh on uh the commission creating a commission on American leadership in robotics uh which is certainly one way of solving that problem. Could you talk a little bit about what the value would be of a dedicated federal commission focused on robotics and what the scope of that commission you think should be? uh appreciate the question and thanks again for um sponsoring that bill.
▶ 0:54:58Um I I think that if we could coordinate across all agencies of government that that would have tremendous value to helping the robotics industry compete globally. The US has fallen behind by not having that. And as has been pointed out, the Chinese saw the future when they developed their national strategy. They understood robotics was where this world was heading and they put in place programs to become the leaders. We can do the same.
▶ 0:55:28We need this central organization and this commission to take a look at every part of government that can help and can benefit from a stronger robotics industry in the US. So I do think it's essential.
▶ 0:55:42Well, thank you. Obviously, I agree with you and we're going to keep pushing to try and get that bill across the finish line. Uh Mr. Beard, you in your testimony called for a national robotics strategy. That's something I highlighted in my opening statement as well. So we're in furious agreement uh on that. Uh I it's really frustrating for me that the United States does not currently have a national robotic strategy.
▶ 0:56:07China does, Japan does, South Korea does, Germany does, the United States does not. uh and it's there's such an obvious linkage between uh str a robotic strategy and uh our national economy and national security. So if we're all agreeing that we need to put together a strategy, could you talk a little about what that strategy should it include and what it should
▶ 0:56:33Absolutely. And thank you for the bill that you've sponsored. We're strong supporters of that bill and your uh we think one of the first things is demonstrating excellence in robotics and manufacturing and we think the MEP program in particular can be reworked to do that. I think both sides of the aisle are correct. It doesn't serve in its current state but but I really think it has the potential to be the foundation of something that is uh that is in in high service to all of our manufacturers.
▶ 0:57:01And and this is we actually pulled a few hundred manufacturers uh for our testimony. And what we heard is that one of the core problems is learning how to be excellent at machining and powder coating and welding and bending metal and all these different um forms of of manufacturing and then how to how to automate those forms and and what does excellent look like and and as a country when we're behind we should all come together and share our knowledge.
▶ 0:57:27And I think what the MEP program could be are these amazing centers of excellence where we can learn from each other. We can see what is bestin-class and we can get really efficient really quickly. And so that's that is uh one recommendation for your future commission to consider. Um we think that uh that the government uh provide incentives to uh build American robots and the supply chain of American robots to automate and to put them to work in American factories.
▶ 0:57:56So, we've laid out a number of recommendations along those lines. Uh, we think that the uh these new centers of excellence and then there's other ideas that we've shared in the written testimony to to really train this next generation manufacturing workforce. We hear from almost every manufacturer we talk to that it's hard to hire. And even ourselves, we try to hire a machinist and the only candidate we could find comes from an ITAR facility making parts for nuclear submarines. And it we don't even want to hire the person because we know that they need that person.
▶ 0:58:26So c can I ask you to elaborate a little bit about that because there's been kind of an elephant in the room in this entire discussion about uh you know the optimistic case for robotics which is that they augment American manufacturing. They don't displace workers. They actually create more employment in manufacturing for human workers. Uh and the pessimistic case where uh and Dr. Helper I hope you're an optimist but uh I mean you laid it out. You said the alternative is the worker substitution. We don't want to go there. So are Mr. Beard, are you are you an optimist or a pessimist in that way?
▶ 0:58:56My my favorite analogy in this regard, Milton Freeman visited a job site in the 70s and they were it was a canal digging project and they were digging with uh shovels and he said, "Why aren't you using earthmoving equipment?" Which they had in the 70s and uh and the leaders of that country said, "Well, it's a job site, so we don't want to give them earth equipment or create fewer jobs." And Milton Freeman said, "Well, why don't you just give them spoons?" And his point was we earn the right to create high make highpaying jobs by creating something of economic value by by automating by using
▶ 0:59:26robots which we view as the power tool of the 21st century. It's like the new drill for the American worker to be five times as productive assisting the worker not replacing the worker. And using these tools we as a country can earn the right to have really high paid really safe manufacturing jobs where the worker's face isn't in the weld smoke. they're standing back and managing five robots that are that are in the weld smoke. And so that's our vision of the future. It's very optimistic. All
▶ 0:59:51right. Well, it's a fascinating discussion. I see my time has expired. Uh but thank you very much for for your uh your answers and your testimony. I'd like to now recognize ranking member Stevens for five minutes for her
▶ 1:00:02Well, thank you so much. Um, you know, it has been a passion of mine to focus on Michigan manufacturing. And over the last eight years, I have visited more than 200 manufacturers across the state of Michigan. And I consistently hear from workers and small businesses about both the innovation happening on the shop floor and the real challenges in scaling and commercializing those innovations.
▶ 1:00:30Um, I also hear concerns about China's statebacked industrial strategy, subsidies, and unfair trade practices that have undercut US industries in sectors like drones, batteries, and 5G. And we are beginning to see certainly similar trends in robotics. Uh, but we have also uh changed that trajectory before with the Chips and Science Act, which you know I helped author and pass into law.
▶ 1:00:58Congress came together to strengthen a critical industry and rebuild domestic capacity in semiconductors. We also have an opportunity to do the same thing in robotics. So, Dr. Helper, um thank you again for being here today. Your testimony is certainly very thoughtprovoking as usual. Uh one of the many things you discussed was the capital challenges faced by manufacturers. Um I remember discussing that with you during the great recession period.
▶ 1:01:26Um but certainly uh right now for small and mid-size manufacturers, how can the federal government um in this modern time uh close financing gaps to spur investment in the integration of advanced technologies like robotics?
▶ 1:01:45Yeah. Um one thing I I think there's two issues that that manufacturers face. So, so one is uh uh financers see growth strategies by small manufacturers as very risky and so they want to charge like credit card level interest rates often. So I think we could fix that. You know some of the plans for revitalizing the ex export import bank might help that. The other problem uh that manufacturers face is uncertain demand.
▶ 1:02:13So it's not just that they can't get the capital, it's that they don't even want to borrow because they're not sure they could pay it back. And so there are various plans to increase the certainty of demand. So the government can do it through its own procurement. Uh they also uh can imagine bringing together um groups of customers uh that would make such things and I I worked on such a thing in the Biden administration am
▶ 1:02:38Yeah. Great. And robotics relies on many of the same components and widgets that power the US auto industry, the foundations of Michigan's manufacturing base. And at the same time, China has begun to leverage their years of investment in this space to scale their domestic robotic production. So, Mr.
▶ 1:03:01Bstein, how can Congress better support domestic robotics production while strengthening the supplier ecosystem particularly in manufacturing hubs like
▶ 1:03:14Thank you for the question. I believe that the key to strengthening the manufacturing of robots in America is to increase adoption in America. And that's why we're pri prioritizing incentives for small and mediumsized companies and companies of all sizes to adopt automation. How do we make it easier? How do we give them this the the skilled workforce they need too? So that's really critical too. We have to invest in the workers
▶ 1:03:39and maintenance and repair remains very important um uh for for that as well. Um and Mr. Robbins uh what risk do we face if the US does not coordinate with allies and partners in building out this competitive manu robotics manufacturing base? You know, we see authoritarian rivals coordinating to undermine democracy.
▶ 1:04:00So, we must work with other democratic allies to safeguard democracy and and working with uh countries that are aligned with our ethics and values is going to be important to winning. Um, as as many scholars have have noted, u US competing against China alone is going to be far less effective than if we can compete uh with our democratic allies. Um, as mentioned, China's far outpacing the US.
▶ 1:04:26It's currently outpacing the world, but we'll be much stronger together if we have partners like Taiwan and Japan, South Korea, and others working with us in Europe um to to have a uh a unified agenda and a and a global strategy to compete against an authoritarian rival.
▶ 1:04:40Yeah. And as Mr. Beard was talking about where um he sources parts components, you know, you think about partnerships like AUS, Australia, UK, US. I know you mentioned the nuclear submarine. You know, I really do want to see the United States uh aggressively pursuing manufacturing um co-development of innovations and strategy partnerships with allied nations. Uh we need to be doing that aggressively.
▶ 1:05:06Uh it goes beyond just theus but a really does afford us a relationship and I think if we can put in some of the points that Dr. Halperted on and Mr. Bernstein, what you referenced, we could also have great rel part partnership arrangements in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
▶ 1:05:22The gentleman yields back. Uh we'll hear next from the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Babbid, and you are recognized for five minutes.
▶ 1:05:28Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. Uh my first question is for Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Robbins. How dependent is the US robotics industry on foreign source components such as sensors, actuators, chips, and other critical parts? And are there specific supply chain vulnerabilities that Congress should be focusing on?
▶ 1:05:52I think we're quite dependent on some of those parts, especially rare earth magnets, and um we need to address that. And I know that efforts are being made to address that by uh recent department of commerce investments in helping us develop its rare earths. So I think uh that's going to remain an issue.
▶ 1:06:11Again, I think that the more adoption of robots we have in the US, the more likelihood there will be uh companies that can make some of those components and maybe we could support the ones that currently make them that even if they were here, they're too expensive as Mr. Beard pointed out earlier. And that's why there's so much reliance, but some of them don't even exist here, particularly in the rare earth space.
▶ 1:06:33Okay, Mr. Robbins.
▶ 1:06:34Yeah, I I agree with what Mr. Bernstein said. Um, uh, we have a couple of member companies like Bulan Elements and USA Rare Earths that are, uh, you know, now going to scale over the next couple of years to build out supply chains for for rare earth magnets. Uh, we also have a serious shortage in lithium and gallionite uh, and others for batteries as well. And that's an area that needs to be [music] addressed as a critical component. Um the way to do this is with both carrots and sticks.
▶ 1:07:00Um in some cases uh we need to build uh sort of small yards and high fences um to to keep out uh technologies that uh flood the US global market and keep US competitors um from being able to scale as well as carrots to help uh US companies uh with whether it's lowcost financing or uh incentives for adoption or other tools to help spur domestic
▶ 1:07:21Thank you very much. [clears throat] And the the CCP, Communist Chinese Party, has a wellocumented pattern of subsidizing domestic industries, flooding global markets, and undercutting competitors on their prices. Are we seeing this playbook applied to robotics yet? And how should the US respond? Very briefly, start with Mr. Beard.
▶ 1:07:44I believe that we are seeing that. I think we're seeing uh some companies even selling below their cost is what we've uh what we've seen. I think I think that we should take action to ban Chinese robots and probably give some notice, six to 12 months, but the supply chain in the robots and I think we're still early enough in the adoption and very few manufacturers are using Chinese robots, so there's time for uh for folks to adopt to that with a little notice.
▶ 1:08:09Thank you. Just very briefly, I'll just go right down the line there. Um Mr.
▶ 1:08:16I I think we may be seeing some of the issues that you mentioned. Um whether or not banning Chinese robots is a good idea, I'm not sure. And one of the reasons I'm not sure is because of right now we do need those rare earth magnets here in the US. And I I worry about if we start a war over robotics that we could lose some of those components that are vital to our goals. We want to reshore manufacturing at scale.
▶ 1:08:43If we are dependent on those parts and they withhold them, then I think there could be an issue.
▶ 1:08:48Okay, Mr. Robbins. Yeah, we've we [clears throat] are we're a cross domain association, so we've seen this movie play out in the drone industry. So for us, it's a slam dunk. Uh you absolutely have to move away from adversarial uh supply chains otherwise you the the China market creates a strategic dependency and we ultimately lose that market here in the US which is which is their goal. So yes, we have to ban Chinese uh robots.
▶ 1:09:09Thank you Dr. Halper.
▶ 1:09:11I want to split the difference. I think one of the key things that this uh strategy could do is really understand where we have capabilities and where we in the supply chain and and where we could develop them. And so then you could imagine setting some kind of a aggressive yet feasible targets of uh these are going to be tariffs you know gradually you know more and more into the supply chain uh you know that that initially we would not uh ban rare earths from abroad or from China but eventually we'd develop a capability and we would or we would
▶ 1:09:41we we need all the information we can possibly get to see if we can rectify this situation. American manufacturers tell us robots are too expensive, too complex, too difficult to integrate, uh them to buy robots and robot components from China. What is the federal government's role in bringing down those barriers? Is it research funding, tax incentives or workforce training or something else? And uh Mr.
▶ 1:10:09I think it's a mix of all those things are needed and and I think most importantly dramatic action and and quick action. And I think we have to train the next workforce. We don't have enough folks that know how to deploy robots right now in the United States. I think we need to incentivize the adoption of robots like China has. I think we need to uh it's Chinese supply chains we've heard run at 4% margins for critical components like strain wave gearing, motors, motor controllers, encoders.
▶ 1:10:35These are the critical components in the robot supply chain that we need to have in the US in additional rare earths. So I think that uh having capital available so that so that you can start a company that makes those components because venture capital isn't there for a 4% margin business. We've already waited long enough where that's that's what it is in China and so so I I think it's a a combination of what you mentioned.
▶ 1:10:57Great. Thank you very much. I'm out of time, Mr. Chairman, so I'll yield back.
▶ 1:11:00Gentleman yields back. We'll go next to the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Baird. You are recognized for five minutes for your questions.
▶ 1:11:08Uh thank you, Mr. chairman and uh I really appreciate witnesses being here. Uh I'm going to I'm going to focus on the fact that robotics and automation or equipment is very applicable to agriculture. So I really want to focus in that area. And I I might say before I start, uh Mr. Beard, you misspelled your name. It's B A I R D.
▶ 1:11:37Did you get We have a lot of beards in my history, too. So, they changed their name for some reason.
▶ 1:11:43But anyway, uh I think it's important that we're able to to use this technology in agriculture, particularly precision agriculture. And you know, I had the opportunity to visit a farm about a week ago and they had an autonomous sprayer and uh they were spraying and and the the fact that they had capability of handling 250 gallons of material, but when they went across this acreage and I forget what acreage it was, they only
▶ 1:12:14used 7 gallon of a material, which which I really want to commend everyone involved in industry and in agriculture for being able to make those kind of improvements and and technology because I think it helps us be um more efficient and it helps agriculture be able to produce for the coming uh coming generations.
▶ 1:12:36You know, when I was younger u and on the farm uh we used to talk about putting on putting on quarts per acre, quartz of atrisine, that sort of thing. And now we're talking about ounces per acre. And I just want for agricultures sake, I want people to recognize how efficient that has become and how how well we utilize those things in agriculture. So when people accuse us of using a lot of excessive pesticides or insecticides or whatever, I think that's a false narrative.
▶ 1:13:06And so uh we have to eat that food too. So I I just make that statement. And uh so but my my first question really uh deals with um uh with uh these autonomous sprayers and I said I got to see one and that that was made in the country of Brazil and uh that unit covered uh covered the field and then it came back and using a technology very similar to what we used
▶ 1:13:37for refueling these jet airplanes fighter planes with the tankers. Uh it came back and and filled itself and then went back to the field and did its work. It marked out all of where that field the borders of that field and made that application. So it was very efficient, very effective and you could control it. They they were even controlling it from it was made in Brazil, South America and they could even control it from South America.
▶ 1:14:04So, so I just I just it's amazing to me the kind of technology that we have uh and the capabilities that we have. And so, it's it's significant that we can utilize that kind of technology in agriculture. So, I guess I'm making a a plea for agriculture and to keep up that kind of work and all the work that you're doing. So, u so Mr. Robbins, let's let's start there.
▶ 1:14:32We're seeing agricultural robotics like precision sprayers that I just mentioned and farmers rely on foreignbu autonomous equipment. Uh but that was made in in the country of Brazil. The one I one I saw. So how do we my question is how do we how do we make sure we're staying ahead of the game and retaining some of these very uh intelligent young people that in agriculture?
▶ 1:14:56Yeah, thank thank you sir for that question and and uh throughout our members we have uh many companies in both the drone and robotic space that are focused on precision agriculture both to uh extend the operational reach and and help fill workforce gaps and to be more efficient as you note um both for spraying as well as providing more efficient mapping and surveying uh and and and and um one way to uh address this issue specifically to a um again goes back to strategy that's where we should start.
▶ 1:15:26We should not do one-offs. We should have a national strategy. We should pass Chairman Albernalti's act. Um and we should also have incentives for adoption. Um you know right now for particularly when uh when there has been Chinese technology uh in brought into the agriculture space we should have a rip and replace program where um they are farmers are incentivized to uh to get rid of their Chinese technology which poses a national security and economic risk to the American people by having that in in American farmland and have an incentive to purchase non-Chinese technology preferably
▶ 1:15:57American technology where it's available.
▶ 1:15:59Thank you sir.
▶ 1:15:59Uh thank you. I agree with that answer and you know uh today you mentioned you mentioned something I think is important. You can pull in a field and go around the field and that unit will map itself and then you can you can turn that equipment loose so to speak and it'll take care of uh whatever operation you're doing. So uh I really uh I really appreciate you being here and I thank you for that answer. I yield back.
▶ 1:16:26Gentleman yields back. We'll hear next from my colleague from California, Congresswoman Rivas. You are recognized for five minutes.
▶ 1:16:33Thank you, Mr. Chair, for convening this hearing. Uh, I was a very young student when my teacher first showed me how to work an early version of an Apple 2 computer. And that interest as a child um shaped my future and sparked my interest in STEM. And it changed my entire life. You know, I went on to MIT and became an engineer and later started a nonprofit to encourage young girls interested in STEM and even serving as a robotics coach for kids.
▶ 1:17:02Uh, you know, STEM and robotics programs, while they're fun and engaging, are not just hobbies. Robotics programs in schools are key to producing a stronger, more hands-on US robotics workforce. Robotics programs teach skills, build confidence, and introduce underrepresented groups to robotics and other STEM topics.
▶ 1:17:24Investing in robotics programs ensures that our future workforce has the skills needed to adapt and succeed in an environment that is becoming more automated while still protecting important labor jobs. My very first bill in Congress, the STEM Pathways for the Future Act, fosters STEM education and apprenticeship opportunities for students who come from diverse and untraditional pathways, including many students um in my district.
▶ 1:17:53I've seen the energy and passion that young students in my district bring to their STEM classrooms. With the proper tools and resources, these students will power the United States to continue being a leader in robotics and robotics However, the educational and professional STEM opportunities for the next generation of STEM leaders are in danger.
▶ 1:18:16For the second year in a row, the Trump administration has proposed major budget cuts that impact our future robotics workforce, research, and manufacturing infrastructure, including cutting nearly 993 million from NIST, the very entity whose mission is to promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness and helps to fund robotic manufacturing work, cutting nearly 55% to the National Science Science Foundation
▶ 1:18:46and hurting its ability to support fundamental robotics research and cutting 8.5 billion in K through2 programs, further demolishing of the Department of Education and its programs that help students succeed. These cuts undermine our country's ability to develop a strong future workforce that will lead the world in robotics.
▶ 1:19:10We must support the current and future workforce so that robotics can be integrated responsively and efficiently. U Dr. Halper in your submitted statement you emphasize the importance of collaboration between robotics and workers but you also brought up the importance of What role do you think Congress should play in ensuring that there is a balance between apprenticeship in the future of the manufacturing workforce and robotics?
▶ 1:19:40And additionally, how will these cuts from the Trump administration impact our robotics future?
▶ 1:19:48Thank you. Um, take this the second one first. I think it's a really severe uh problem for all the reasons you laid out. Uh I think apprenticeship is really good in that it what it does is gives both uh instruction in general principles and hands-on experience and and one without the other is not valuable.
▶ 1:20:08So if you have just the general just the hands-on experience, you know, maybe you buy a different kind of robot and the person doesn't know really how to, you know, they press one button and maybe it's a different color in a different place, a different machine. So understanding those general principles is really important. Um, so Congress can do this by, I think, increasing staffing. Actually in the Department of Labor, it's a very long process to get a new occupation certified. Um, I I guess my, you know, that the quick thing is a tax break.
▶ 1:20:38I I generally think that that isn't the thing that is most a barrier that the the key that most firms have is an upfront large expenditure to get an apprenticeship program started. And so helping with technical assistance, with bringing together communities of practice, that would go a long way to I think removing the real barriers.
▶ 1:20:58And you think that's something that the federal government can fund through grant programs or somehow connect the partners together in communities?
▶ 1:21:08Yeah. And there's actually state programs. South Carolina does a really good job. Um that that we could learn from um that uh yeah bring bring people together uh and and yeah so they could be grants. They could be I guess I would also just you know increase staffing in the office of apprenticeship at the department of labor uh which was small and I imagine is even smaller now. Um
▶ 1:21:31yeah thank you so much for that answer. You know, and as we continue to try to overcome the administration's cuts to science, it's important to keep these in mind. Thank you, and I yield back.
▶ 1:21:42Gentlewoman yields back. We'll hear next from the gentleoman from South Carolina, Miss Biggs. You're recognized for five
▶ 1:21:49Thank you, Chairman Obernalty. I appreciate you convening this hearing on the state of American robotics. And thank you to our witnesses that are here today um to testify in front of Congress. American innovators are excellent at multip multiplying the output of the American worker. Our industrial sector was the best in the world throughout the 20th century, fueled in part by American automation.
▶ 1:22:19However, China emerged as a competitor to the United States at the turn of the century. The CCP identified areas they wanted to dominate and invested billions of dollars in government funds to grow their industries. Robotics is one of those sectors. This becomes more dangerous when one considers China's civil military fusion. China is not only pursuing automation in the factory yard.
▶ 1:22:49They are also pursuing automation on the battlefield. And I certainly appreciate your work, sir, and uh your input earlier on your testimony. They are developing autonomous drones and robots, integrating AI, and attempting to change the way wars are fought. We cannot be caught flatfooted. If autonomous systems are going to change the battlefield, we need to be at the cutting edge of the transition.
▶ 1:23:17And to do that, we must ensure that our robotics industry is strong and its supply chains are secure. My question is to all the witnesses. How do you feel that and how are your firms positioned to develop the necessary capabilities and that includes the sensors, software, electronic warfare tools and other counter measures to counter China's growing interest in integrating robotics into its military
▶ 1:23:47modernization campaign.
▶ 1:23:53Mr. Robbins, we can start with you if you don't mind.
▶ 1:23:56Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. uh and I appreciate your uh your focus on uh on national security and defense. I know that comes from your background as a war fighter. Uh thank you for your service there as well.
▶ 1:24:05Thank you.
▶ 1:24:06there's no doubt that the military civil fusion uh that is being undertaken by the the CCP in China is directed at overwhelming uh US capability and uh in in the Indoacific. um their their initial strategy is to uh to build uh mass um to make the US reconsider whether we would engage particularly in a Taiwan scenario.
▶ 1:24:31Um they are using their commercial industry to bolster their uh their uh military side. Um and they're doing it very effectively. Accordingly, we have to do the same here. We have to recognize that these are dual-use technologies that are whether it's using for uh robots for manufacturing or robots for war fighting um that we have to recognize that these technologies are are are both accordingly um outside the the jurisdiction of this committee.
▶ 1:24:58But tools like the defense production act, the industrial base uh and um uh industrial base policy out of the department of war, those are tools that also should be considered um to help support this industry. uh we absolutely need to rely upon XM bank and department of commerce and and have a national strategy but we also need to utilize tools that are available uh in the department of war to support these technologies as well.
▶ 1:25:22Thank you.
▶ 1:25:22Thank you ma'am.
▶ 1:25:24Anyone else?
▶ 1:25:27Uh at Standard Bots we we have designed almost all the parts that go in the robot and we've had to do that because the US supply chain just doesn't exist and we want made in America robot arms. We're uh we're currently working on vertically integrating all the different parts of the manufacturer of the robot from casting metal where we buy bars of metal locally and melt them down into the the shape to to milling them and heat treating them and powder coating them and and so we've had because the US supply chain doesn't exist, we've had to we're having to take
▶ 1:25:57on uh even melting metal to make a made in America US robot. So that's the current state of just add increasing the user base to give uh Mr. Beard a uh economies of
▶ 1:26:15Thank you. Um I'll just finish up with my last question. Would an investigation into the national security risk posed by foreign robot robotics manufacturers be
▶ 1:26:29yes, ma'am.
▶ 1:26:32Any other input? I would say that um we should look at some of the dual use threats from our um nonallies, but I think when we're looking at our allies, it's a it's a different story. These robots from Japan and Korea and uh countries that we work with, they've been working in the United States for decades. They have a long history of supporting our manufacturing industries and other industries.
▶ 1:27:01I don't think they present the same risk.
▶ 1:27:04I I agree with that, ma'am. Um and I do think that as I said earlier, uh we need to work with our allies. We also do need to also take a deeper look at the supply chain, the underlying supply chains as well because some of our allies face some of the very same supply chain challenges and strategic dependencies on China that we face here in the United
▶ 1:27:21Thank you. I certainly appreciate the conversation and look forward to talking to each of you further. And with that, sir, I yield back.
▶ 1:27:29A gentleman yields back. We will go next to the gentleoman from Maryland, Representative Mlan Delaney. You are represent you are recognized for five
▶ 1:27:38Uh thank you to our chair um and ranking member and thanks to our witnesses today for this very important hearing. I so support our congressional uh members in um really helping lead US innovation and furthering our country's um automation. Now, I represent uh Maryland's sixth congressional district, which stretches from the suburbs of Washington DC to western and mountain Maryland.
▶ 1:28:04My district is the proud home of the Gaithersburg campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST. I believe NIST, to be one of our nation's jewels for multiddisciplinary research and standards development, and it has a clear mission to promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness and to be really our industry's national lab.
▶ 1:28:24Now, NIS engineering lab has estimated that only 10% of potential industrial users have robotic systems in part due to the lack of of uh really reliable standards. Their robotic systems for smart manufacturing program is advancing the measurement science that will enable manufacturers to meet and identify requirements for new technologies. Now, before I go on to my prepared remarks, I do want to uh lift up what I heard Mr.
▶ 1:28:53Michael Robbins say um in response to our our GOP colleagues, I served in the last administration as uh the deputy administrator of NTIA and as deputy assistant secretary at um the Department of Commerce. And a lot of my international work dealt with rip and replace.
▶ 1:29:10And I think it is so incredibly important that we um in 5G technologies and wireless technologies as we look at manufacturing and automation with AI that we really work with our trusted allies and our supply chains to ensure that we don't have surveillance that we keep up our US innovation and that we do all and I weigh in very very strongly in this. We do all in our efforts to make sure that we do drive that innovation but also um trusted supply chains.
▶ 1:29:37Um coming back um broad adoption at NIST will also require technical assistance particularly for our small and medium-siz manufacturers. NIS manufacturing extens ext extension program which I have a personal passion for is a nationwide network that helps companies in every state enhance productivity strengthen their global competitiveness and adopt technologies like robotics. In the F-26 and 27 budgets, the Trump administration had proposed to end MEP.
▶ 1:30:07Fortunately, Congress rejected this effort in a bipartisan fashion. That said, no program is perfect and MEP can be modernized to ensure it is helping our nation's small manufacturers. Dr. Halper, how can Congress elevate the MEP program to help small and medium-siz manufacturers adopt robotic technologies? And Mr. Bear, you said updating MEP is a coordination and resourcing problem, not a mission problem. Can you elaborate?
▶ 1:30:34And what additional capacities or resources should MEP have to support companies like yours in reaching small and mid-size manufacturers?
▶ 1:30:43Thank you. Um, I think the uh MEP program could be a a central part of this community of practice that I mentioned that we need where we have users and makers of robots and also workers and their representatives coming together to really understand not just sort of plug and play a robot into an existing system but really redesign uh the the whole production process system of automation.
▶ 1:31:10Um, we see a little bit of that, a forerunner of what could happen in a collaboration between the uh Pittsburgh MEP Catalyst Connection and the ARM Institute, which is a manufacturing USA uh institute, which got a build back better regional challenge grant to to co to collaborate and they've helped dozens of small manufacturers in Pennsylvania to adopt robots. Um, and that that grant is ending. It would be great to continue that work and and expand it to some of the other MEPs.
▶ 1:31:39Perfect. Thank you.
▶ 1:31:43Thank you for the question. I'm born and raised in Maryland. So, um
▶ 1:31:47it's a good it's a great thing to be a
▶ 1:31:49That's right. I think the Well, we we we talked pulled hundreds of manufacturers about the MEP program and we heard is a few things. One is it's it's it's too split up right now. Some of the MEPs are in a basement of a house and I think the the leaders of the MEP program what we heard they have to have a dual role. They have to be experts in manufacturing. They have to be fundraisers. And so right now I believe the network there are too many locations. They're too underfunded. We're requiring u people to be superhumans that run these things.
▶ 1:32:20It's just not possible to do both. And often it's different humans that are good at at both things. And I think if we had fewer better funded uh centers that that were more built up, had more equipment, had every different piece of equipment for milling and machining and metal forming and you could go in and you could see this and you could see it whether you want to start a manufacturer or whether you want to work in manufacturing, you could really get a feel for it and you could take training there and I think that is the mission of the MEP program and it's and and I think what we heard is this the country needs
▶ 1:32:50but it's uh it's been lost
▶ 1:32:52in the details right in terms Yeah,
▶ 1:32:54you knowanced enough and I think you know more is better in terms of our nation's laboratories right in innovation.
▶ 1:33:03I think yeah I think it the program can play a really important role and be a foundation of of rebuilding manufacturing robotics
▶ 1:33:09and anyone else who wants to weigh in.
▶ 1:33:13Okay, thank you. I yield back.
▶ 1:33:15Gentleman yields back. We'll hear next from the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Rouser. You are recognized for five
▶ 1:33:22Thank you uh Mr. Mr. Chairman, a very interesting uh discussion here and a lot of my questions have have already been asked, but I want to go back to the uh military application which I think is so critically important. Um what stage are we in? Is there any coordination uh with our uh Department of Defense and others in the national security sector uh along with uh you all and the research uh as it relates to deployment of new uh robotics.
▶ 1:33:51Uh bottom line is if you look at history, whoever has the best technology wins the war. Uh so I think this is a really fundamental point here. I wanted to explore a little more. Any comment?
▶ 1:34:04Happy to go first. I think we're in we're in early days, sir. Um the the war in Ukraine has really been a wakeup call for the Pentagon on the uh dual use nature of robotics, drones, autonomous technologies as a whole. Um the Pentagon doesn't always pivot super quickly.
▶ 1:34:18Um but we have seen uh particularly over the last year a a significant uptick in coordination uh a real effort to learn from uh from allies particularly in Ukraine uh how they're doing it and they're they're doing it well um starting in the classroom and and training young people to to you know help uh as soon as they graduate or even still while they're in school in this space all the way down you know to to the war fighters and everyone in between. So there's a lot of learning ongoing. Uh we're seeing uh a significant increase in the budget for autonomous systems.
▶ 1:34:48Um we haven't seen the details yet of the FY27 budget, but it looks to be uh about 54 million for the defense autonomy working group, the dog, which is a significant like multi- you know multiund time plus up over o over previous years, which is a good sign. And most importantly, we're seeing a alternative pathways to acquisition, which is key. um traditional programs of record uh do not work for modern warf fighting technologies.
▶ 1:35:13Um being locked into a program of record for for a robot or a drone where the technology is iterating, you know, perhaps every week u based on battlefield knowledge does not make any sense. So allowing the war fighters to choose from a portfolio of of options and using market plates marketplaces and advanced market commitments. Those are all really good strategies and and in this year's NDAA we have a number of asks for Congress to continue to lean in and pushing to authorize the the Pentagon to lean even in more into some of these alternative pathways and to increase funding for autonomous systems.
▶ 1:35:43Yeah. Any other comment?
▶ 1:35:47We found the Department of Defense to be very uh receptive. We've had a number of conversations with leadership there and they they've shared their problems and I think for a private company like ours that's important so we know uh what we're building and we can build a platform that that serves all users. So uh we we have found them to be very
▶ 1:36:06I just Oh go ahead. Oh, I was going to say that um one of our recommendations is that the government become big adopters of robotics and we're seeing more interest now because of uh shortages of munitions and ships and a lot of the robots can help u do some of those tasks that would help make our military stronger. Yeah,
▶ 1:36:28I would just mention that the civilian in in uh promoting the civilian side also helps the military side and and if you look at you know how do we get fast agile uh production and get down learning curves a big civilian user base and civilian research is also important.
▶ 1:36:46So that brings me to my next question. What does a new center of excellence really look like? What is that? Is that one big institution in the heartland of America? Is that uh 214 research institutions around the country? Uh talk about that a little bit. Um put put the meat on the bones there for me.
▶ 1:37:05I could take this one. Um I think it depends on the amount of funding. I think the important thing is we keep the quality really high. If that means we can only have one and it's in the heartland, I think that that works. But I think it should be where you can come and you can learn all these different methods of manufacturing. You can learn how to automate. You can get trained to be a metal worker, a machinist.
▶ 1:37:23You can and and if we keep that quality high and we have the various equipment and we have experts there who can teach you about the various pieces of equipment and when do you use which piece of equipment and what are the best practices for running a machine shop or a metal forming shop or what have you. I think I think the quality is important. Even just having one that did this right now would be a huge benefit for our country. I think people would fly in for it. If we could have one in every state that's better. I think it just comes down to the amount of funding that's available.
▶ 1:37:50But I think quality and and having that high bar for quality to really meet the mission of uh the MEP program is the most important thing.
▶ 1:37:58So do you view that as a public private
▶ 1:38:01I think it could be. Yeah, I think that's a good way to do it.
▶ 1:38:05Any other comment?
▶ 1:38:06Yeah. You you serve on the transportation infrastructure committee and we're a big part of the FA reauthorization act which authorized the center for advanced aviation technologies. Um it's now been established in conjunction with Texas A&M. They just had their big launch event with the industry just a couple weeks ago. they're off to a fantastic start. I think that could really serve as a model uh to to replicate. I agree with Mr. Beard that one that's well resourced is better to many that are not well resourced and perhaps less effective.
▶ 1:38:32Ideally, many that are well resourced would would be the uh the better outcome, but uh obviously there, you know, diminishing resources.
▶ 1:38:39Have to start somewhere.
▶ 1:38:40Indeed. Yes, sir.
▶ 1:38:41I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:38:43Gentleman yields back. We'll hear next from the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Foster. you're recognized for five
▶ 1:38:49Uh thank you, Mr. Chair, and to our witnesses. So, I have a couple of I think difficult questions here. Um the first one has to do with uh cyber security, trusted silicon. You know, there's this ancient science fiction plot of the robots that come out and they get hacked and strangle you in the middle of the night or the car that drives into the Fourth of July parade because it's been hacked. Uh this is not science fiction. You know, this this is possible.
▶ 1:39:14I think it was a decade ago that Tesla was not even doing a secure boot on their car as and you know it was pointed out by one of the Chinese companies that this is a really dangerous thing. Um the number of difficulties there. The first thing that you're going to have to you're going to have to have someone you trust look in detail at the software of anything that's deployed at scale in the United States. And so I don't know if we're going to need an open- source mandate or something like that.
▶ 1:39:40Uh so that you're just simply not going to be able to deploy automobile software in life critical situations unless someone we trust looks at that which could be an AI. Um but I was just wondering what the best thought was on that and a related thing. So there's the software security there's also the trusted silicon problem. This is a huge problem.
▶ 1:40:01you know, we're now using cell phones to authenticate yourself and we're if you're using that to um for high-valued financial transactions, you better trust the silicon in your cell phone. And there's a big difference between the security of Apple, which I think does a pretty good job of their their um chip supply chain and the Android world where it's scattered all over the world and who knows what chips are being put in there.
▶ 1:40:24And you know, we can't there's going to be at some point a disaster with the internet of things where every, you know, light bulb that's used as an internet repeater is going to be used for a denial of service attack or that sort of thing. We are not defended against that. And when we're going to have to have hearings about that after we have the disaster, what should we be doing ahead of time to prevent that disaster from happening?
▶ 1:40:49Yeah, thank you so much for that that question, Mr. Foster. It's very astute. Um, and it to your point, it's not science fiction. Um, there's been a couple of of uh open source uh disclosures of late where a uh a hacker was able to easily access unitary robots um and and use them to uh disrupt and and spy. Um, and that was, you know, not done maliciously. It was it was done sort of to to prove the point.
▶ 1:41:12And then uh even more recently uh a a DJI home vacuum was was was accessed and uh the individual who uh who again unintentionally stumbled upon this had access to 7,000 uh different uh video feeds into people's homes. So these are very real concerns at AVSI. We we also work in the drone space. So we've actually been working on this for for years u working with the Department of Defense and and the broader US government. We actually established a a standard uh called blue UAS. That's the federal standard and we have
▶ 1:41:42so yeah we have like NIST that sets all these cyber sec defines a cyber security stand. What we're missing is an agency that calls balls and strikes that says if you're going to present your your digital identity on a cell phone this version of iPhone is secure and this one you there's key extraction exploits that make it not safe to do it. And that's going to become very um contentious very rapidly when you tell a manufacturer that they have the product they're trying to roll out this Christmas is not safe to inflict on the on the public.
▶ 1:42:12So it seems to me that we need a an agency to do not only cyber security and call balls and strikes on specific project products but also trusted silicon.
▶ 1:42:22Yeah, sir. And and do so is there anyone that disagrees that we're going to need that because it's going to have impact on robots being deployed?
▶ 1:42:30Completely agree. Yes.
▶ 1:42:31I'll just add there is some precedent for this in the ISO standards for robots like 10218-1. So what happens today is to be certified to those standards. You hire a national lab. The national lab will review the code of your safety critical section of your firmware to make sure that that it's safe. And so I think the the national labs could play potentially a role in those types of reviews. But I think that
▶ 1:42:51Yeah. But I don't know if they're binding. If they if they give you a thumbs down, you can still market it. We need, you know, a system with teeth on this. Um and and so the last thing just briefly on Mr. Beard, I guess you um this question of whether the future of manufacturing is vertically integrated shops. You know, it's sort of what Elon Musk did to NASA. NASA spread out all of their manufacturing in every congressional district so they could come and say, "Here's this little part of our rocket." That's all right. And Elon Musk said that's ridiculously inefficient.
▶ 1:43:22They just did vertically integrated manufacturing and ate their lunch. And so I was just wondering what you know and the same thing will happen you know in I think general purpose manufacturing. And so I wonder what your thoughts on that are.
▶ 1:43:35Well for for our part to compete globally we have to vertically integrate. And and that's why we've had to design a lot of the supply chain. It's because if we buy low volume parts from American suppliers the costs are just too high. So we've designed our own motor, our own motor control, our own encoders. Uh and
▶ 1:43:52and in the future, it's going to be Claude that does all this stuff. The engineering are not going to be people we're training today. It's being going to be done by the the data centers full of geniuses that uh that Daario talks about all the time. And it's a you know this is a very tough conversation, but I think we're not doing ourselves a service if we avoid it. And I am now um past time and I will yield.
▶ 1:44:14Gentleman yields back. We'll hear next from the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. McCormack. You're recognized for five
▶ 1:44:21Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for all being here today. It's kind of hard because I'm for the first time looking past a robot to get to Mr. Beard, who has my first question. I wish I had my special glasses where I could just kind of move the arm, but that doesn't exist right now. Uh, Mr. Beard, I'll get right to the point because I got a bunch of questions. Uh, one for each of you.
▶ 1:44:40Can you specifically outline what steps it would take to establish regional robotics manufacturing clusters in high growth regions like Georgia knowing that we have special circumstances that we're developing rapidly? Yeah, I think I think the first thing is uh the funding has to be there and and then I I think it's really bringing together our experts in this country because we do have many of them.
▶ 1:45:02But if they were to collaborate, we can uh I think we can create a center in Georgia and and hopefully every other state that serves as uh an example of what is amazing look like in manufacturing and and and our manufacturers want this. And that's what we've heard again and again. They want to be able to go and see what excellence looks like, kick the tires on all the equipment, learn about automation, get their workers trained. Uh, and so I think funding is the first long pole. So kind of a public private coercion basically trying to get something going like in so many other innovations.
▶ 1:45:33Obviously the government can't do it by ourselves. We don't have the money we used to have. Uh, we obviously have a lot of things pulling at us. But what we've seen is when America applies itself, we can get to outer space. We can do things that nobody else can do, no other country can do. And I couldn't agree with you more. Uh Mr.
▶ 1:45:47Rob Robbins, you've you've actually uh raised some concerns about uh adversary linked robotics entering the US ecosystem uh which could create obviously a strategic dependence outside of our nation which we've had in other areas that's really hurt us um n internationally.
▶ 1:46:07uh what specific risk based guardrails do you think we could do to block for example Chinese [clears throat] origin technologies while ensuring American and allied firms can innovate without those same
▶ 1:46:19Yeah, I thank you so much for that question sir. I would start with Congress passing the American Security Robotics Act. Uh that is an extension of work that Congress has already done to uh address the the threat from uh Chinese drones and just extending that into robots. That would be a logical first step.
▶ 1:46:34um any system that the US has designated as a Chinese military company that's on the 1260H list should be banned from the US like that that's if if it's you know they're working already with the PLA which is strategic adversary um that that should be extended as well. Um beyond that uh there absolutely needs to be a strategy to uh drive a s resurgence in American manufacturing uh in those uh the broader industrial stack.
▶ 1:47:02So rare earth magnets, uh sensors, components, LAR, um all the things that that make up a robot so that we can break the strategic chokeold that China has on the critical components and the uh the pieces that make up the American robotic industry today that that so many companies are reliant upon um that don't have the resources of Mr. Beard's company and to be able to go and vertically integrate. A lot of companies are still sourcing from from China because it is so much cheaper and that's what in some cases that's their only option.
▶ 1:47:28Um, in order to break that dependency, we have to re-industrialize and build here in America and work with our partners and allies around the
▶ 1:47:36And do you think those critical components can be obtained mostly in the United States or do we have to truly go overseas and make those deals, make sure we secure that uh in international
▶ 1:47:45Yeah, it's it's both and and and you know, we need a strategy for that. Um, we we we want to bring some of it at home. We have to think left to boom. um you know in a in a wartime scenario um you know the first place China's going to go is all those those you know strategic dependencies um so we have to have some domestic capacity um there's there's no doubt about that we learned that lesson you know in in World War II with the arsenal democracy um however in the meantime it that it's going to take time to build that capacity shovels on the ground workforce permitting all the things that go into that uh and in the meantime we have
▶ 1:48:15to be working you there's really good efforts undertaken right now by the commerce department state department silicana and others to build these relationships and and build these supply lines with our allies and that's that's definitely a piece of the
▶ 1:48:26Yeah, I couldn't be more more agreeing with you and especially on being proactive. Uh Mr. Bernstein, in uh AI and robotics, federal regulation has often lagged innovation. Uh what should Congress do to ensure that federal agencies stay agile and we don't slow down American companies trying to out innovate China?
▶ 1:48:46Excellent question and regulations could slow it down. Um, but one of the areas of regulation that whether it's a consensus standard or some other standard, when we're looking at humanoid robots, for instance, they're not safe to be around people. China may not care about that, but I think the US should, they're getting a lot of data because they're getting the robots in the field more quickly than we are. But we need to prioritize safety. for our association.
▶ 1:49:13We developed the first American national robot safety standard that became the basis of the global robotic safety standard. And I really think it's important that these robots be safe before they're around people, especially in our homes. So I would I would uh encourage us to look at that good balance between regulation and innovation. With that, I'm out of time, so I yield, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
▶ 1:49:34Gentleman yields back. That concludes questions from our members. I would like to thank our witnesses for their valuable testimony and all of the members for their questions. I think this has been a really interesting and very useful hearing. The record will remain open for 10 days for additional comments and written questions from members. With that, this hearing is