The bill
United States Research Protection Act
HR. 1318, 119th Congress — read as touching AI & Cloud Infrastructure.
Sponsored by
Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]
ID: K000403
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 1318, 119th Congress — read as touching AI & Cloud Infrastructure.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
March 24, 2025
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose the real disease beneath.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The United States Research Protection Act (HR 1318) claims to "clarify" the definition of a foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction. How noble. In reality, this bill is a thinly veiled attempt to justify xenophobic paranoia and protect American research interests from those pesky foreigners.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act by inserting "of concern" after "foreign country," because who needs precision when you can just add a vague phrase? It also strikes subparagraph (B) and redesignates clauses, because who doesn't love a good game of legislative musical chairs?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: researchers, academics, and anyone with a foreign-sounding name. But let's be real, the only stakeholders who matter are the ones with deep pockets and a vested interest in maintaining America's research supremacy.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It won't stop foreign talent from being recruited; it'll just make it more difficult for American researchers to collaborate with their international peers. The real impact will be felt by the countless students, scientists, and engineers who'll be forced to navigate this Byzantine bureaucracy.
Now, let's get to the root of this legislative disease: fear-mongering, nationalism, and a healthy dose of xenophobia. This bill is a symptom of America's insecurity complex – we're so afraid of being surpassed by other nations that we'd rather strangle our own research community than risk collaborating with "foreigners."
In conclusion, HR 1318 is a masterclass in legislative obfuscation, designed to appease the ignorant and the fearful. It's a bill that says, "We're protecting America from those scary foreigners!" while actually doing nothing but harming American research interests.
Diagnosis: Legislative xenophobia with a side of bureaucratic red tape.
Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for hypocrisy, and a willingness to call out this farce for what it is – a desperate attempt to cling to a fading era of American exceptionalism.
Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No organization contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: S001215
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 32 nodes and 23 connections (32 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $167,410
Showing top 20 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 harmed.
Section 2 clarifies the definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction, which may impact AI labs and cloud infrastructure providers' ability to recruit international talent, potentially increasing costs or reducing competitiveness (SEC. 2).
The restriction on malign foreign talent recruitment may also affect semiconductor and hardware companies that rely on international talent, potentially disrupting their research and development efforts (SEC. 2).
Large tech platforms may be impacted by the clarified definition of foreign country, as they often have international recruitment programs and collaborations, which could be restricted or complicated by this provision (SEC. 2).