With strong bipartisan support, the U.S. House voted to keep the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) running through 2033. This program provides funding to state and local governments to help protect public services and infrastructure from cyberattacks. Reauthorization for the program is part of the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience (PILLAR) Act, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.
This Week in Washington
- Nextgov: A formal national cybersecurity strategy is being finalized, according to National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross and FBI Cyber Division leader Brett Leatherman. The strategy will focus primarily on U.S. responses to foreign hackers.
- The Record: Georgia Representatives Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and David Scott (D-GA) introduced the SEC Data Protection Act. The bill would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement uniform cybersecurity protocols to secure critical market information from cyberattacks.
- FedScoop: The Department of Energy (DOE) is planning a new AI venture to curate data from the DOE, National Laboratories, and private partners for scientific innovation. The plan builds off of the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan, released this summer, which emphasized the role of the DOE in driving AI innovation.
- Reuters: The Trump Administration is delaying the rollout of planned 100% tariffs on select semiconductors as it seeks to maintain a trade truce with China. There is no timeline on when the tariffs, initially announced in August, will be imposed.
Article Summary
- DW (Deutsche Welle): The European Union (EU) is planning to roll back many provisions in its landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws. Among other changes, the significant policy shift will allow companies to use more data in AI training models, while still protecting answers to personal health and demographic questions.
- CNBC: Microsoft and Nvidia are partnering with Anthropic on a massive AI deal. Microsoft will invest $5 billion into the AI startup, and Anthropic will purchase $30 billion of Azure computing capacity.
- ABC 7: AI-powered wildfire cameras are preventing fires across the Texas Panhandle. The cameras gather extensive data about the region and can alert firefighters as much as 15-20 minutes earlier than existing methods.
- Nextgov: New Mexico launched a quantum telecom network on Wednesday, positioning the state as a leader in quantum computing development. The state has invested more than $300 million in state and federal funds into quantum research and development.
Featured Podcast
- Politico Tech
The Trump administration’s AI Action Plan puts an emphasis on energy development to meet the demands of AI, quantum, and other emerging innovations. Department of Energy undersecretary for science Dario Gil spoke to Politico Tech host Steven Overly on how the administration is approaching the energy question. (How AI is driving Trump’s energy agenda – November 20, 2025) – 23 minute and 57 second listen.
Note: Voices for Innovation regularly shares a range of opinion articles and press releases from organizations in and publications covering tech policy. These pieces are meant to educate our audience, not to endorse specific platforms or bills.