Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on Thursday celebrated the passage of legislation that includes $250 million in federal funding for a partnership between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York.
Stefanik said in a statement: “This cutting-edge partnership between DARPA and AFRL-Rome will make the U.S. the global leader in quantum computing by setting the standard for what constitutes a ‘useful’ quantum computer.”
She added: “With this funding, we are accelerating the race to quantum advantage and sending a clear message that the U.S. will not cede technological leadership to China.”
I have consistently championed this initiative as the cornerstone of America’s next-generation defense technology strategy. With this funding, we are accelerating the race to quantum advantage. https://t.co/JEax96i6JE
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 1, 2025
DARPA, the agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, is known for developing emerging technologies for use by the military. It is also known for awarding the fledgling pharmaceutical company Moderna $25 million in 2013 to develop a vaccine to protect against infectious diseases using messenger RNA (mRNA). Eight years later, Moderna produced the COVID-19 vaccine.
[In 2021, The Economist listed the COVID-19 vaccine, weather satellites, GPS, drones, stealth technology and the internet among dozens of celebrated advances for which DARPA can claim at least “partial credit.”]
[NOTE: When Stefanik made the DARPA announcement on X, the reaction from commenters was mainly about President Trump’s decision to move former Rep. Mike Waltz from National Security Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, the position Stefanik was originally nominated for by Trump. Stefanik is reportedly eyeing a run for Governor in 2026.]