Cable television companies. Peter this week on the communicators, our guest is representative frank lucas, republican of oklahoma, and the Top Republican on the science, tech, and space committee. Joining us as our guest reporter gopal ratnam of cq roll call. Thank you for being on the communicators this week. Congressman, what have we learned when it comes to technology in the last couple of months, and whats the role of congress in advancing that . Rep. Lucas i think we have come to finally appreciate as a nation how absolutely important it is that we maintain our technological edge and that we move forward. We make sure it is accessible to all. I cant imagine as a member of congress how we would have functioned in this pandemic without the ability to use a variety of conferencing and communications technology. Not just the traditional phone calls that we use for our Republican House conference, but webex, and a whole variety of platforms to move information back and forth. Thats not
Advance. Everyone needs a chance to prosper. And broadband, the internet, modern communications is to us what pencil and tablet was to my greatgrandparents 100 years ago. Peter lets bring our guest reporter, gopal ratnam, from cq roll call into our conversation. Gopal thank you for having me, peter. And congressman lucas, thank you for taking this time to speak. I want to ask you about the proposal you have, that you put out in january, asking for an increase in spending on federal r d. Among the things that you called for is a boost in spending on Artificial Intelligence, biotech and quantum computing. But given the pandemic we are amidst now, 120,000 plus americans have died, is there anything that you would change in terms of areas of focus, areas of research where such federal spending to be applied . Could be applied . Rep. Lucas i think what we have seen in recent weeks demonstrates not just the need, but the magnitude of the resources that are necessary. When legislation was bei
Having as our special guest ben rhodes. He will speak and then he will speak and then. He and i will have a conversation. To postrage you all questions through the q a feature. Limited to the second half, i will begin to wrap up our discussion and i will start posing some of your questions. This will run about one hour. I want to mention next week, next wednesday we will have our last webinar for the seminar partnerll be with our novelg about his new which is a look into the future of warfare and cyber warfare. He is a fantastic thinker and writer. Rhodes. Y, ben he is the former National Security deputy National Security advisor. Of pensee the world and ae the world, friend of ucla. Take it away. Mr. Rhodes thank you everyone for joining us for this. Commentske some open summarizing the argument i was and that this piece can set up the directions we go when in our conversation. Me, the genesis of this idea about the end of the 9 11 era is like anyone else, the extremity of the lockdow
Make sure its accessible to all americans across the landscape. I cant imagine as a member of congress how we would have functioned in this pandemic without the ability to use a variety of conferencing and communications technologies, not just the traditional phone calls we use for our Republican House conferences but zoom and webex and a whole variety of platforms to move information back and forth. Thats not just in politics. Not just in the legislative process. Listening to my friends and industry its been a necessity because many have spent a minimal amount of time in the office in the last 90 days just as i sped a minimal amount of time in my office in the last 90 days. Host so whats the role of congress in advancing that or is there a a role . Guest we are a facilitator. This is something that going all the way back to the telecommunication act of the 1930s, things that essentially everyone in the country is going to have the best technology and if its going to be widely availabl
I want to mention next week, next wednesday we will have our last webinar for the seminar partnerll be with our novelg about his new which is a look into the future of warfare and cyber warfare. He is a fantastic thinker and writer. Rhodes. Y, ben he is the former National Security deputy National Security advisor. Of pensee the world and ae the world, friend of ucla. Take it away. Mr. Rhodes thank you everyone for joining us for this. Commentske some open summarizing the argument i was and that this piece can set up the directions we go when in our conversation. Me, the genesis of this idea about the end of the 9 11 era is like anyone else, the extremity of the lockdown hit me in early march and for me, i was taking a walk with my daughters. We went down to venice beach which was completely empty, desolate. I had never seen it before. My daughter picks up a dandelion and i said make a wish. She said to make the coronavirus galway. Go away. For someone who worked in the white house, wh