The bill
National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
S. 3597, 119th Congress β read as touching AI & Cloud Infrastructure.
Sponsored by
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
ID: Y000064
Follow the money
The bill
S. 3597, 119th Congress β read as touching AI & Cloud Infrastructure.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
April 13, 2026
π Current Status
Next: The full Senate will vote on whether to pass the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another brilliant example of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026 is a masterclass in bureaucratic obfuscation, designed to confuse and impress the ignorant masses while serving the interests of the powerful and well-connected.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of this bill is to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act, because, of course, the original act wasn't sufficient to line the pockets of defense contractors and tech industry insiders. The objectives are twofold: (1) to funnel more taxpayer money into the black hole of quantum research, and (2) to create a veneer of national security concerns to justify the aforementioned money grab.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends the National Quantum Initiative Act by adding new definitions, such as "Federal laboratory," "foreign country of concern," and "quantum applications." These changes are designed to expand the scope of the initiative, allowing for more funding and bureaucratic control. The bill also establishes new committees, subcommittees, and coordination offices, because what's a government program without an abundance of unnecessary administrative layers?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The affected parties include defense contractors, tech industry giants, and research institutions, all of which will benefit from the increased funding and government support. The stakeholders are the American taxpayers, who will foot the bill for this boondoggle, and the Chinese government, which will likely be the target of the "foreign country of concern" provisions.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The potential impact of this bill is to further entrench the military-industrial complex, increase government control over research and development, and provide a new avenue for pork barrel spending. The implications are clear: more money will be wasted on useless research, more bureaucrats will be employed to administer the program, and the national debt will continue to balloon. But hey, at least we'll have a shiny new quantum initiative to show for it.
In conclusion, this bill is a textbook example of legislative malpractice, designed to serve the interests of the powerful at the expense of the American people. It's a disease, and the diagnosis is clear: corruption, greed, and a healthy dose of stupidity. The treatment? A strong dose of skepticism, a healthy disdain for political spin, and a commitment to calling out the nonsense that passes for governance in this country.
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No organization contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
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Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 66 nodes and 32 connections (48 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $164,960
Showing top 20 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 5 helped.
Sec. 16(d)(2) promotes core competencies like computer science and data science shared with AI; Sec. 16(d)(8) develops career development programs for quantum-informed educators; Sec. 16(d)(11) encourages coordination on quantum education in broader STEM community, which includes AI and cloud infrastructure.
Sec. 12(e) establishes a grant program for post-quantum cryptography deployment, promoting voluntary development, adoption, and deployment of standards relating to post-quantum cryptography; Sec. 12(e)(3) provides technical assistance through grants to entities at high risk of quantum cryptoanalytic attacks; Sec. 17 amends Cyber Security Research and Development Act to include post-quantum cryptography.
Sec. 12(a)(4)(D) carries out research to facilitate development of quantum applications, including research on quantum supply chain enabling technologies such as lasers, cryogenics, and other supporting technologies; Sec. 12(b)(2)(C) identifies enabling technologies and supply chain essential to foster research and industrial competitiveness in quantum information science, engineering, and technology.
Sec. 12(a)(5) establishes or expands partnerships with public and private sector to accelerate domestic quantum supply chain and reduce vulnerabilities; Sec. 12(a)(5)(C) avoids offshoring to or dependence on countries of concern for critical components; Sec. 18 authorizes NASA quantum initiatives for space and aeronautics applications, which aligns with defense contractors' work.
Sec. 6 subsection (g)(2) adds new subsection (i) on Quantum Use Cases, which includes identifying potential use cases for quantum technologies that could advance missions of Federal departments and agencies, including biotechnology (mentioned in Sec. 6 subsection (d)(2)(A) inserting 'biotechnology' as a sector for quantum applications).
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.