House Science Committee Explores AI Action Plan

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Research and Technology Subcommittee held a hearing titled “Advancing America’s AI Action Plan,” featuring testimony from Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The hearing examined the administration’s approach to maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence through a strategy focused on innovation, infrastructure, and international partnerships. 

A central theme throughout the hearing was that AI leadership is not just about developing powerful tools, it is also about building trusted systems that can be deployed across real-world industries. Committee members emphasized the importance of NIST’s role supporting U.S. standards leadership, especially as AI becomes more integrated into safety-critical applications. Director Kratsios repeatedly pointed to the value of developing evaluation methods and standards that can support sector-specific implementation, particularly as AI proliferates through smaller, fine-tuned models designed for specific uses in healthcare, finance, agriculture, and manufacturing. 

The hearing underscored that U.S. AI leadership depends on more than software breakthroughs, it requires the ability to scale, deploy, and integrate AI across the American industrial base. Ranking Member Rep. Haley Stevens emphasized that innovation is tied to manufacturing capacity, skilled workers, and sustained federal support for programs that help companies adopt advanced technologies. Raising concerns about potential funding reductions and workforce impacts tied to key NIST programs, including the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which supports small and mid-sized manufacturers in modernizing operations and strengthening competitiveness. 

Director Kratsios reinforced that workforce readiness is a core part of AI infrastructure, discussing that education must begin in K-12 and extend well beyond college through ongoing reskilling and upskilling. He highlighted the growing role of community colleges building AI literacy and technical skills and pointed to federal coordination. Director Kratsios stated, “a lot of work is being done with the Department of Labor. They’ve awarded nearly $100 million in AI skills training programs” designed to prepare workers for AI-enabled jobs. Taken together, the discussion made clear that without strong training pipelines and broad adoption support, AI benefits may concentrate among the largest firms, leaving smaller manufacturers and regional supply chains behind.  

ASME Policy Impact will continue tracking developments affecting AI standards, industrial competitiveness, and technical foundations needed for responsible AI adoption in the United States.