Innovation in the tech world is always full steam ahead. So important is it that our society stays on top of it all that even our tax money goes into fueling the progress. When American citizens’ hard-earned dollars contribute to the funding, what comes of that investment also belongs to those citizens.
Congress agrees. And that’s why they passed a new federal law after the discovery of US-based technology, funded by American taxpayers, had been exported to China.
The Invent Here, Make Here Act
This federal law was passed in December of 2022 and is known as “The Invent Here, Make Here Act.” As a small part of the National Defense Authorization Act, this measure was just as much taxpayer protection as it is an action of homeland security.
When technology is developed domestically, it should also be utilized domestically. In this way, it not only supports the population but also protects the citizens. New technology means new factories, more jobs, and benefits to people and businesses. In contrast, when that technology is exported, it results in less opportunity for Americans, longer supply chains, and, honestly, a weak point in our national defense.
Battery Technology Exported Overseas
This recent slip in tech retainment finds blame on the Department of Energy (DOE). A discovery took place at a lab formerly known as UniEnergy Technologies in Mukilteo, Washington. A complex battery system that took over six years of development and cost taxpayers over $15 million was completed. It should have remained within US possession. Yet, the DOE dropped the ball on keeping that information stateside.
The battery technology in question was a huge breakthrough in clean energy. It had the potential to revolutionize electrical systems in the US, even personal homes. People could use these batteries to be self-sufficient, rely on solar power, and essentially live off the grid.
However, the license to use the tech was granted to a company that swiftly moved its manufacturing overseas for cheaper production, despite regulations that required manufacturing stateside. The US laboratory that made the discovery? Shut down, and all of the employees were laid off. You could say that DOE didn’t just drop the ball. They failed…they failed the scientists who made the discovery, the laboratory that worked hard to make it happen, and the American people that would have greatly benefited. And they failed miserably.
Made in America, Stays in America
When innovations such as these are established, the intent is to remain in America, utilize American manufacturing, and thus support the American people, who funded it in the first place. The responsibility lies in the department that licensed the tech to ensure companies remain compliant with regulations. Without regular check-ins, those companies often find loopholes in the laws and easily evade any regulatory actions. It’s why so much US-funded technology has found its way overseas, and the American economy suffers for it.
Fortunately, after this event and many others, both majority parties agree that American technology should be supporting America and its people. The governmental microscope is honing in, and there is bipartisan support in Congress for enacting new laws to enforce this concept.
As it turns out, everyone agrees: when you pay for something, it belongs to you. And the American taxpayers keep their receipts.
Image courtesy of UniEnergy Technologies.
