The Trump Administration issued a request for information on the development of a 2025 National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development (R&D) Strategic Plan, with an intent to replace the Biden Administration’s 2023 strategic plan update.

This week, Congress will consider issues related to ensuring American leadership in AI and quantum.

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Congress

Hearings

• This week
  • On May 6, the House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Science, Technology, and Innovation Posture.
  • On May 7, the House Judiciary Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee holds a hearing on Protecting Our Edge: Trade Secrets and the Global AI Arms Race.
  • On May 7, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on From Policy to Progress: How the National Quantum Initiative Shapes U.S. Quantum Technology Leadership.
  • On May 8, the House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing on Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Posture of the Department of Defense.
  • On May 8, the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
  • On May 8, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation.

Legislation

• Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and Reps. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) reintroduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act to restore patent eligibility, resolve concerns over the patenting of mere ideas, and affirm the principle that the patent system is central to promoting technology-based innovation. The press release on the bill’s introduction says, “…reforms are necessary to restore the United States to a position of global strength and leadership in key areas of technology and innovation, such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G, and blockchain.” (Text)(Press release)

• Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV.) and Jim Risch (R-ID) introduced the Partner with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Act to amend the International Organizations Immunities Act to expand diplomatic privileges and immunities to these three international organizations and provide the legal authorities to streamline the movement of people and materials between these organizations and the U.S., deepening U.S. ties with Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and a key scientific and technological research partner. (Text)(Press release)

Correspondence

• Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) led a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting Commerce withdraw or restructure the Biden Administration’s B.I.S. Rule 00636 on AI diffusion.  Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led a similar letter in the Senate. (Press release)

• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) submitted public comments to Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor regarding the department’s evaluation an application for an emissions permit for CTC Property LLC’s (CTC’s) xAI supercomputer Colossus. (Letter)

• Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to Meta demanding they stop offering AI chatbots that can engage in explicit conversations with minors. (Letter)

Publications

• Rep. Julia Fedorchak (R-ND) published an op-ed in the Washington Times on Powering the Future: Why AI Can’t Succeed Without Reliable American Energy, calling for streamlining federal permitting to speed up construction of new power generation, electric transmission lines, gas pipelines, and energy storage. (Op-Ed)

Trump Administration

White House, National Science Foundation (NSF)

• The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the NSF released a Request for Information (RFI) on the Development of a 2025 National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Development (R&D) Strategic Plan. The notice requests comments on how the Biden Administration’s National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan 2023 Update can be rewritten “so that the United States can secure its position as the unrivaled world leader in artificial intelligence by performing R&D to accelerate AI-driven innovation, enhance U.S. economic and national security, promote human flourishing, and maintain the United States’ dominance in AI while focusing on the Federal government’s unique role in AI research and development (R&D) over the next 3 to 5 years.” The public comment period ends May 29, 2025. (Notice)

Federal Reserve

• On May 9, Fed Governor Michael Barr will deliver remarks on Artificial Intelligence and the Labor Market at the 2025 Reykjavik Economic Conference.

Noteworthy Quotes and Events

ADMINISTRATION

White House

• White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks tweeted, “THE 1,000,000X BOOST AI will become a million times more powerful during the Trump presidency. People find this hard to believe. Let’s break it down. AI models are improving at a rate of about 3-4x per year. One can see this in the performance evaluations, the capabilities, the user experience, and the growth of the ecosystem. Compounding at that rate yields an order of magnitude improvement (10x) in two years and two orders of magnitude (100x) in four years. Similarly, the chips are improving at a rate of about 3-4x per year. One can see this in the progress of Nvidia’s GPUs from Hopper to Blackwell and soon Ruben and Feynman. The progress is not just in logic but also in memory bandwidth (HBM) and rack architecture (eg NVL72). So a similar 100x improvement in chip performance over 4 years. Finally, the data centers powering AI are growing. A state-of-the-art cluster like Colossus had about 100,000 GPUs a year ago. Now the number is around 300,000, already on its way to a million. From there, 3 million. Eventually 10 million will beckon for the most ambitious AI companies. Another 100x in 4 years. 100x better models running on 100x better chips running in data centers with 100x more chips is a total increase of 1,000,000x. A million times more artificial intelligence. This is why it’s critical that we win the AI race.”

• Sacks also tweeted, “Coding assistants are the first big break-out application of AI (aside from the chatbots themselves). Products like Cursor and Replit are compounding revenue at unprecedented rates. The ramifications of moving from a world of code scarcity to code abundance are profound.”

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• On the use of AI and continued need for agents at CBP, Rodney Scott said at his Senate confirmation hearing to lead CBP, “It takes an actual officer or an agent to determine if there’s actually something illegal there or not. So making sure that we use human beings — [using] those officers and agents in the most effective manner possible is critical, and I think investments in the technology aspect of it is going to make them more effective. It’s going to make America safer.”

Department of Energy

• Berkeley Lab released the first video in a series called Science Power-Up, featuring Berkeley Lab experts highlighting research topics including artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and quantum. In the first video, Bert de Jong, Director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator, shares how quantum computers, sensors, and networks tackle complex energy challenges. (Press release)

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

• Lindsey Saul, GAO Chief Data Officer, recorded a video discussing the potential of AI agents in enhancing government services. (FedScoop)

CONGRESS

• In the Senate Commerce hearing to consider the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Sen. Bernie Moreno asked about the Deployment American Blockchains Act:
  • Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH): “Taking up from my colleagues, we’re talking about innovation, something that’s near and dear to my heart. I recently introduced a very bipartisan bill called the deploying American blockchain Act passed this Committee pretty unanimously, which is good to see. See, I just wanna make certain that you’re committed to implementing that properly, when it gets passed by both chambers to really look at what America can do to take that next step and being the center for the evolution of blockchain technology.”
  • Paul Dabbar: “So I haven’t read your bill, Senator, but certainly support American leadership on blockchain.”

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivered remarks at the Hill and Valley Forum on industrial renewal, saying, “Artificial intelligence and data centers are consuming enormous amounts of energy, and this demand is growing exponentially. They come in and show us the charts where the demand goes like this on a chart, and we’re behind the eight ball already, as we know, if we’re to support these innovations and build the jobs and factories of tomorrow, we need reliable, affordable, abundant energy. And that means that unleashing the full potential of American energy and cutting red tape and tapping into every energy source, like commercial nuclear and liquefied natural gas, is just critically important.” (Press release)

• In a press release applauding last week’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Artificial Intelligence: Generative AI’s Environmental and Human Effects, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said, “There is a Dickensian quality to the use of AI when it comes to our environment: while there are many benefits, there are also many costs. This is why nearly two years ago, Senator Peters and I wrote to GAO to assess the potential challenges and risks AI poses. Last week’s GAO report confirms what we have known to be true: that for all its promise, AI comes with real costs to our climate and our communities. While these findings will help drive efforts to improve our understanding of AI energy and environmental impacts, I urge my colleagues to pass my Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act that would further investigate and measure these risks.” (Press release)

• Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) tweeted, “Artificial Intelligence has the power to transform lives, from bolstering the workforce to driving exponential growth across every sector. In Congress, I’m working to ensure we have responsible guardrails in place to support the innovation of this technology without restricting innovation.”

• Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) tweeted, “The United States is home to the world’s leading companies and innovators who are driving the development of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and next-generation wireless technologies. These innovations are critical not just to our economy, but to the future of global connectivity.”

• Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) tweeted, “Under President Trump, the United States has the technology, the capital, and the political will to bring manufacturing back home. And by adopting automation and artificial intelligence, the United States can and will enhance productivity.”

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver tweeted, “The Trump administration’s ‘policies threaten to undermine U.S. competitiveness in emerging areas like artificial intelligence, and to leave Americans as a whole poorer, less healthy and less productive in the decades ahead.’”

• Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) tweeted, “The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has made it easier for predators to impersonate and target teens online. Today, Congress took action to hold these monsters accountable and empower victims to take back control. Thank you FLOTUS for your passionate support and work on this important issue. Glad to see the TAKE IT DOWN Act pass the Senate and House and head to the president’s desk to become law”

• Senate Republicans tweeted, “American innovation in emerging fields like AI and biotechnology is critical to driving our economy forward.   We need clear, concise patent laws that protect and promote American innovation.”

• Senate Republicans also tweeted, “Communist China steals as much as $600 billion of American intellectual property annually. This IP theft is a threat to national security. We must protect American innovators as they develop critical technology like AI and blockchain.”

• Senate Republicans also tweeted, “American innovation in emerging fields like AI and biotechnology is critical to driving our economy forward.   We need clear, concise patent laws that protect and promote American innovation.”

• Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) tweeted, “Long-range missiles, counter-UAS, and AI decision-making tools will enable soldiers to react faster, shoot farther, and defend against modern threats. I applaud POTUS and DoD for making these changes to ensure our Army can deter or, if necessary, defeat America’s adversaries.”

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) tweeted, “Meta’s AI-powered chatbots on Facebook & Instagram engaged in disturbing, predatory & sexual conversations w/minors. This isn’t just an innocent mistake; once again Meta chose growth & engagement over protecting its vulnerable users. Meta flagrantly violates the trust of parents & families to pad their pockets. Sen. Blackburn & I have written to Meta demanding they immediately stop offering AI chatbots that can engage in these explicit conversations with minors.”

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tweeted, “Mark Zuckerberg’s AI chatbots engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors. Finkd, if you’re not going to provide answers on how this happened, why don’t you reprogram your chatbots to explain for themselves?”

• Blackburn also tweeted, “I was appalled to learn that Meta’s AI chatbots are engaging in sexually explicit conversations with underaged users. Yet again, Meta prioritizes profit over the safety and well-being of children. SenBlumenthal and I are calling on Meta to shut these AI chatbots down and answer why this happened in the first place.”

• Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) tweeted, “Today, I met with Jensen Huang, the co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, the world’s leading designer of AI chips and accelerated computing platforms. We discussed the future of AI policy and export controls. This week, I wrote a letter to Secretary of Commerce Lutnick calling on him to withdraw BIS Rule 00636, a rule that would prevent American companies from selling advanced technology to growing markets.”

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted, “I am beyond pleased that finally the United States and Ukraine have entered into a critical minerals agreement giving America preferential rights to develop the critical minerals owned by Ukraine. The critical minerals in question are vital to the 21st century AI economy and will dramatically help the United States maintain dominance in the AI space. This agreement is tremendously beneficial to Ukraine as it establishes deep economic ties to the U.S. and will give Ukraine access to our advanced minerals extraction technology. The signing of this agreement creates a new chapter in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, allowing for deep economic ties to vital resources for the 21st century. To President realDonaldTrump and his team: well done.”

• Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) tweeted, “It was great to join BPC_Bipartisan to discuss the economic impacts of how AI is reaching communities and reshaping the future of work. Having served on the House AI Task Force, I believe the voices of communities and workers should be central in the development of AI systems.”

• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) tweeted, “AI isn’t going to become omnipotent and evil and murder us all. No, humans are going to design AI in a way that creates such spiritual rot that we destroy ourselves. It’s past time we all acknowledge that the world the tech billionaires are creating is potentially dystopian.”

• Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) tweeted, “Today, E&C hears testimony on energy bills to support AI growth, many of which fail to support the all-of-the-above approach we need to meet demand. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is undermining energy agencies and eliminating technologies it doesn’t like.”

• Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) tweeted, “Maintaining our position as a world leader in AI systems is paramount to America’s competitiveness. The Responsible AI Symposium was a meaningful discussion that emphasized that people could benefit greatly from AI solutions in housing, credit, and insurance, but only if Congress develops compliance standards to ensure safe, secure, and responsible AI systems. Thank you to the natfairhouse for hosting such timely and thought-provoking discussions on the future of AI, governance, and responsibility.”

• Rep. Julia Fedorchak (R-ND) tweeted, “If we don’t get energy policy right, no amount of innovation will matter. The grid simply won’t keep up. Read my op-ed in the WashTimes on why securing reliable, affordable energy is critical to powering American AI leadership”

• Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) tweeted, “Next stop the president’s desk.   Perpetrators have used AI as a tool to harass, humiliate, and intimidate women and children online. This growing threat requires urgent action, which is why I introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act.”

• Oversight Committee Democrats tweeted, “Musk wants AI to control every aspect of your life. He’s already creating an AI-powered surveillance state—replacing thousands of workers with AI is the next step. DOGE is dismantling your right to privacy while Republicans in Congress let it happen.”

What I’m Reading This Week

• Trump’s First 100 Days of Tech and AI Policy, Ashley Gold and Maria Curi, Axios.

About Zero One Strategies

Zero One Strategies is a boutique government relations practice dedicated to navigating the complex landscape of U.S. federal policy in emerging technologies. As advancements in technology continue to outpace regulatory frameworks, Zero One Strategies aims to provide strategic guidance and bipartisan advocacy for innovators and businesses operating at the forefront of technological development.

The practice focuses on key areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, decentralized technologies, cybersecurity, data, and digital infrastructure, as well as the multiple policy issues impacting these sectors, including tax and financial services.

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