One of the great honors of my life was to serve our country as a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. During my time in the armed forces, I saw firsthand the many important qualities that sets our military apart from every other nation on Earth. From day one, we received outstanding training, led by tireless NCOs and skilled officers. And each of us, from first year recruits to senior flag officers, shared the same virtuous cause to defend our freedom and ensure that America always remained that proverbial “shining city on a hill.”
Another essential quality that provides an unquestioned advantage over our adversaries was, and continues to be, our technological edge. From first-rate front-line weapons systems to the backend software and computer systems that operate them, our warfighters have always known that America’s technological superiority is unmatched and provides a crucial difference when facing tough foes and existential threats.
As we all watch in horror and outrage as Russia perpetrates its brutal ground and cyber invasion of Ukraine, we can be grateful for the weaponry, financial support and training that America and our allies are providing to Ukraine to defend itself. Similarly, the vaunted Russian cyberthreat and disinformation machine has been blunted and exposed by the American technology industry, which has worked in real time to stop cyberattacks and galvanize opposition to Russia’s unjustified conduct, rebutting misinformation campaigns and sharing for a global audience the vivid images of Russia’s Ukrainian incursion.
While the world has rallied to Ukraine’s aid against Russia’s war crimes, it is important that we keep an eye on the more formidable long-term threat looming in China. China’s engagement in massive corporate espionage efforts and technology thefts against American interests is well documented. Further, we should be concerned about the lessons the Chinese military may be learning from Russia’s war on Ukraine, all as China eyes a potential forced reunification with Taiwan.
And yet, when America should be honing our cyber warfare and technological edges, Congress is considering legislation that would undermine America’s most successful tech companies. These ill-conceived efforts would harm our enviable innovation economy and limit the ability of tech companies to do business.
Our national security is ensured in significant part by our economic strength. The anti-innovation bills pending in Congress would do harm to our national security by ceding the real economic strengths and advantages our country enjoys in the technology space — advantages we may never regain once lost.
In fact, a bipartisan list of leaders — including a former secretary of defense, former secretary of homeland security and former acting director of the CIA — recently submitted a letter raising concerns that the referenced anti-innovation legislation could threaten our national security, in part by giving our geopolitical adversaries access to U.S. software and hardware, while leaving the platforms we rely upon daily vulnerable to cyberattacks, data breaches and intellectual property theft.
In the years since I finished my service in the Air Force, I have continued to work in support of our veterans and men and women in uniform, whether in leadership roles with the American Legion at the local, state and national level or as a veteran advocate for former U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg and later, the state of New Hampshire. I care deeply about our service members and military having the tools and technological advantages needed to protect our freedom and maintain our edge over our geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia.
Instead of cutting down America’s technology economy, Congress needs to empower innovation, make smart investments, eliminate burdensome regulations, and further grow the capacity and capabilities of our industry-leading enterprises, to enable private-public sector partnerships and growth. Congressional actions that restrict or inhibit our tech companies will only stifle future growth and erode our hardearned national security advantages over our adversaries.
Technology is the backbone of American strength; it helps to ensure our national security and defends and helps to supercharge our economic growth and prosperity. It would be an economic and strategic mistake to cede our technology advantages to China and other adversaries in the interest of scoring political points. Out of respect for the brave Americans who have served and who serve today, I hope and trust that our federal policymakers will take concrete steps to secure our technology advantages rather than diminish them.
Kent Nolan, a U.S. Air Force veteran, lives in Goffstown.
