Innovation policy

Written Testimony for House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

April 14, 2023 | Samuel Hammond

Click here to download a full PDF of the testimony. Chairman Hal Rogers, Ranking Member Cartwright, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Samuel Hammond, and I am Senior Economist at Lincoln Network, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting innovation, improving governance, and strengthening national security.

Winning the Next Space Race

April 6, 2023 | Luke Hogg

Ensuring a Competitive Satellite Internet Market to Compete with China Technical innovation in the delivery of the Internet by satellite has the potential to close the digital divide and improve Internet services for customers in the United States and around the world. With China planning to launch its own “megaconstellation” of internet-providing satellites into low

October 14, 2022 | Geoff Cain

This piece was originally published in the Wall Street Journal. After many grueling nights designing and building a car in “makeshift tents,” Elon Musk emerged with a prescient lesson for Tesla. “The issue is not about coming up with a car design—it’s absolutely about the production system,” Mr. Musk said in 2019, during the unveiling

Japan’s Lessons for America

June 22, 2022 | Lars Schönander

This piece was originally posted on Substack. After a decades-long hiatus, industrial policy is back in vogue. The Biden administration will invoke a law passed in 1950, the Defense Production Act, originally designed to build America after World War II, to raise production of everything from solar panels to baby formula. Industrial policy could address the shortages that

May 27, 2022 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a full PDF of the testimony. Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Braun, and Members of the Subcommittee: My name is Dan Lips. I am head of policy at Lincoln Network. I respectfully urge the subcommittee to fully fund the Comptroller General’s budget request of $810 million for the U.S. Government Accountability Office

May 11, 2022 | Lars Schönander

Acoalition of dozens of former national security officials including former cabinet secretaries wrote to Congress this week urging lawmakers to use the ongoing conference negotiations of competitiveness legislation to allow more foreigners with science, technology, engineering and math expertise to work in the United States. “In today’s technology competition, the most powerful and enduring asymmetric

May 9, 2022 | Luke Hogg

For decades, immigration reform has been a white whale for Congress. Despite bipartisan legislative efforts, executive branch buy-in, and broad agreement that the current system is broken, immigration reform legislation has proven elusive. Now that a bipartisan group of Senators has once again begun legislative discussions on the topic, there may soon be opportunities to

May 9, 2022 | Luke Hogg

The United States has long been a global leader in innovation. The birth and growth of new distributed ledger technologies (DLT) is one area in which the strength of American inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit has spawned a technological sea change. But the United States cannot afford to become complacent as global rivals work to develop

April 27, 2022 | Luke Hogg

As the midterm elections approach, immigration policy is back in the news. With rising migration at the southern border and the Biden administration’s pending decision to lift Title 42 public health restrictions, illegal immigration will likely be a campaign issue in the months ahead. But there’s one aspect of immigration policy that deserves strong bipartisan

April 27, 2022 | Luke Hogg

As if like clockwork, the beginning of campaign season means that immigration is once again taking center stage in Washington. Amidst record breaking migration at the southern border and President Biden’s decision to end the Title 42 public health order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, have been thrust back

April 25, 2022 | Luke Hogg

It’s time for the United States to wake up to the global challenges ahead, and the rivalry between liberal Western values and growing illiberal threats. Over the past few years, the European Union has taken an aggressive posture on tech regulation, targeting large U.S. tech firms and showing little regard for the global implications of

April 11, 2022 | Luke Hogg

One of the most important components of the U.S.-China rivalry for tech dominance is the global competition for talented scientists and engineers. Federal legislation currently being negotiated could help give the United States a competitive edge if an important provision makes it into the final package. For months, Congress has been hard at work on legislation aimed at “[turbocharging] America’s scientific

How Punishing Big Tech Harms America

April 5, 2022 | Luke Hogg

Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing its support for legislation that would ban large tech platforms (primarily Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta) from a range of “discriminatory” behaviors such as self-preferencing their own products. The letter argues that the American Innovation and Choice Online Act

February 16, 2022 | Nathan Uldricks

Why the right needs to study management policy In November, the Biden Administration released the President’s Management Agenda Vision, outlining its agenda to overhaul the federal workforce and its operations. At the top level are some goals all Americans should like, such as improving how citizens interact with the federal bureaucracy and rebuilding domestic industrial capacity. Other goals, as

February 11, 2022 | Geoff Cain

At one time, the chipset cemented America’s position as a preeminent technological power. From the 1950s to 1970s, the US government and semiconductor companies like Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel worked together to turn America into the world’s biggest manufacturer of semiconductors. Semiconductors were the technological foundation of the Apollo missions, the first heat-seeking missiles and

January 31, 2022 | Luke Hogg

Following months of disagreement between federal regulators on 5G rollout in the C-Band, Congress has finally decided to step in. On February 3rd, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing to examine 5G deployment and aviation safety. Last November, I argued that this dispute was a prime area for Congress to

January 20, 2022 | Luke Hogg

The long awaited 5G rollout was once again delayed Wednesday due to ongoing disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over potential spectrum interference. Two weeks ago, it appeared that the disagreement had been resolved. But a last minute push by the airline industry to block the plan forced

January 5, 2022 | Luke Hogg

The Senate Banking Committee met late last year to discuss stablecoins. Among others, Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) voiced strong criticisms of stablecoins and decentralized finance (DeFi). Few likely expected the hearing to yield concrete policy proposals. That was until Ranking Member Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa.) opening remarks. A noted advocate for

November 23, 2021 | Brandon Detweiler

Due to lack of clarity on regulations from the SEC, and not being publicly open and supportive of the innovation happening in the crypto space (especially DeFi) the US is already missing the opportunity to advance what America has always been…the country where entrepreneurship, innovation, and advancement overflow and the GO-TO place for the greatest inventors, technologists, and innovators from around the world, bringing ever growing prosperity to all. It’s time to stop trying to apply laws that are almost 100 years old and embrace the future.

November 19, 2021 | Luke Hogg

A new interagency report from the President’s Working Group (PWG) on Financial Markets regarding stablecoins was intended to provide policymakers a clear path forward in handling this fledgling industry. Instead, it raises more questions than it answers. The report does an excellent job of laying out the benefits and risks of stablecoins to financial markets

November 17, 2021 | Luke Hogg

A disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on spectrum interference has hit a wall leaving plans to roll out a 5G frequency band in limbo. Wireless carriers had originally planned to begin rollout of 5G services on December 5th, but agreed to a one month delay as the FAA

A Review of Industrial Policy Books

November 16, 2021 | Lars Schönander

Below you can find part of our review of the literature on industrial strategy, developmental states, and innovation policy. The list of essays and texts ranges from more academic works to historical overviews of countries that succeeded in economic development. Hopefully these works can provide a starting point for others interested in learning about industrial

November 8, 2021 | Luke Hogg

But would blocking M&As starve the Big Tech beast, or hamstring their future competitors by weakening the startup ecosystem? Last Thursday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Min.) — Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights — introduced new legislation targeting Big Tech companies’ ability to engage in mergers and acquisitions (M&As). This

October 27, 2021 | Luke Hogg

Innovative and disruptive technologies are often confusing by their very nature. Without some prior frame of reference, understanding whether and how to regulate these technologies can be even more challenging. Nowhere is this phenomenon more clear than with cryptocurrency and other digitally native financial assets. A new high level policy proposal from one of the

October 14, 2021 | Luke Hogg

But is it doubling down on the House’s flawed approach? Following the House Judiciary Committee’s introduction of its package of bills to address alleged anticompetitive practices in the tech industry back in June, Senate Judiciary Committee members Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have announced the first in a series of long awaited companion

September 22, 2021 | Zach Graves

FACET — Fellowship on Advancing Critical Emerging Technologies Lincoln Network is excited to announce a new resident fellowship program at the intersection of national security and emerging technologies. Fellows will spend a year working with our team in Washington, DC to translate academic ideas to actionable policies that advance American innovation. The program will focus

The Case for a Longevity Moonshot

July 27, 2021 | Bonnie Kavoussi

As the government debates spending more money on community college and the child tax credit, there is one form of government spending that could significantly improve the lives of every single person on earth. It’s time for the U.S. government to devote significant resources to finding a cure for aging and extending the human lifespan.

Francis Fukuyama on Tech and Democracy

April 30, 2021 | Zach Graves

I recently joined American Purpose editor-in-chief Jeff Gedmin for a discussion with Francis Fukuyama on technology and democracy. Watch the full video below. Francis Fukuyama is chairman of the editorial board of American Purpose. He is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), director of the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International

April 12, 2021 | Ariel Deschapell

Today, Lincoln Network, in conjunction with four other co-authors, submitted formal comments to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to the questions posed within the Policy Statement on the Custody of Digital Asset Securities by Special Purpose Broker-Dealers. In our formal comment, we address industry best practices related to custody of digital assets,

March 4, 2021 | Dan Lips

The global technology competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China becomes more evident by the day. President Xi Jinping is expected to call for a new 5-year plan this week for the PRC to achieve technology independence from the West at an annual meeting of the legislature. On Monday, the Biden

February 24, 2021 | Zach Graves

Smartphone app store policies have come into focus recently, following a series of recent conflicts between app makers and app store operators (principally Apple and Google). These include the removal of conservative-oriented social media platforms Parler and Gab, and the ensuing debate about balancing free speech and harmful content. There have also been numerous conflicts

February 24, 2021 | Dan Lips

On Tuesday, Dr. Eric Schmidt testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The former Google CEO and current chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence offered a sobering message to Congress about China’s technology strategy: [R]ight now, the United States is not playing to win. It is the Chinese who are competing to

February 16, 2021 | Zach Graves

The following letter was sent to the Hill on February 16, 2021. To discuss this issue further, please contact: Charlotte Slaiman, Competition Policy Director at Public Knowledge at [email protected]; Chris Riley, Senior Fellow at the R Street Institute at [email protected]; and Zach Graves, Head of Policy for Lincoln Network at [email protected]. Hon. Chris Van Hollen,

February 4, 2021 | Dan Lips

On Tuesday, Ohio Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown led thirteen of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. The lawmakers urged the Biden administration to help auto manufacturers address the current semiconductor shortage which has forced companies to curb production despite growing demand. The Senators urged the

January 28, 2021 | Alexiaa Jordan

Over the past four years, the semiconductor industry has focused on U.S. trade policy with China. Congress and the Trump Administration strengthened federal laws to restrict foreign investment, control technology transfer, and established new federal research incentives. This pattern looks to be continuing as President Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Commerce committed to

January 26, 2021 | Dan Lips

President Biden’s nominee for Commerce Secretary testified to Congress today that the new administration will be firm in responding to China’s unfair trade practices. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo told the Senate said the administration will “take aggressive trade enforcement actions to combat unfair trade practices from China and other nations that undercut American manufacturing.”

December 17, 2020 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a PDF version of this paper. Five years ago, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced a decade-long campaign dubbed “Made in 2025,” designed to secure for itself global dominance in ten key economic and national security sectors, including the crucial semiconductor industry, where an investment of more than $150 billion

September 17, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Lincoln Network submitted comments to the FCC on RM-11862, the NTIA’s petition to “clarify” Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Authored by Garrett Johnson and Zach Graves. Click here to view the full comment in PDF format. We write: The Commission has been asked to respond to the National Telecommunications and

July 8, 2020 | Joel Thayer

Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a national trade organization representing more than 2,200 tech companies in the United States, recently submitted a petition for Rulemaking Or, In The Alternative, Waiver To Expand Marketing Opportunities For Innovative Technologies. Lincoln’s letter of support of the petition can be downloaded here Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Federal Communications Commission 445

How to Build

May 11, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

In response to Marc Andreessen’s essay It’s Time to Build, Lincoln Network hosted A Time to Build? Institutional Failure and Reform After COVID-19. Marshall Kosloff, Lincoln’s director of outreach and media moderated the webinar panel with Eli Dourado, Mark Lutter, and Marci Harris. We believe that Andreessen’s call to build and reform our institutions has