REPORT: National Security Commission on emerging biotechnology urges swift action to protect U.S. National Security

Today, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) delivered its major report and action plan to Congress. U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) is chair of the Commission. 

The Commission’s top assessment is that urgent Congressional action is needed to bring the full weight of American innovation to bear on the biotechnology challenge and maintain U.S. global leadership in this transformative area. 

Read the full report here: www.biotech.senate.gov/final-report 

For decades, the U.S. has been the global leader in biotechnology innovation. Now, the Commission finds that the U.S. is dangerously close to falling behind China.

“The United States is locked in a competition with China that will define the coming century. Biotechnology is the next phase in that competition. It is no longer constrained to the realm of scientific achievement. It is now an imperative for national security, economic power, and global influence. Biotechnology can ensure our warfighters continue to be the strongest fighting force on tomorrow’s battlefields, and reshore supply chains while revitalizing our manufacturing sector, creating jobs here at home,” said NSCEB Chair Senator Todd Young.

The Commission reports that the United States’ growing dependence on China for numerous critical supply chain elements is a national security vulnerability. Biotechnology can be the key to increasing supply chain security, resilience, and scalability, by allowing the U.S. to control its own access to critical components. 

“Technology is not inherently good or bad, but who uses it matters. Biotechnology can have tremendous potential for good or tremendous potential for harm. The Chinese government has made biotechnology a strategic national priority for 20 years. The U.S. must reassert our global leadership to remedy this strategic weakness. We must be the ones driving the standards for how biotechnology is developed and used,” said NSCEB Vice Chair Dr. Michelle Rozo.

The Commission finds that emerging biotechnology is rapidly advancing, and the impact of biotechnology innovation already extends far beyond health, touching industries from agriculture and infrastructure, to manufacturing and defense. The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology is accelerating this impact.

“Biotechnology holds immense potential to transform numerous key sectors of our economy and will create good paying jobs at all skill levels in agriculture, health care, defense, industrial manufacturing, and more. I am proud to be part of this commission that is ensuring the United States maintains our national security and economic competitive advantages as biotechnology grows across industries,” said NSCEB Commissioner Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). 

The Commission reports that biotechnology will drive the next wave of battlefield innovation, used to secure supply chains, enhance readiness, streamline logistics, improve resilience, and counter biological threats before they emerge.

“As emerging technologies transform the national security landscape, both the United States and our adversaries are gaining new capabilities. The United States must take the lead in biotechnology and propel us ahead of China in the 21st century,” said NSCEB Commissioner Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-5).

The Commission’s assessment is that the future of American biotechnology leadership is only possible through strategic federal action that encourages innovation by spurring private investment. This includes targeted investments and strategic government reforms to reduce regulatory bottlenecks.

“We must embolden the best and brightest in biotechnology to innovate boldly. American ingenuity is stifled by outdated regulations in this sector. Only Congress can open the door to the American-led biotechnological future,” said NSCEB Commissioner Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). 

The Commission’s report lays out six pillars for action and makes 49 recommendations. 

• Pillar 1: Prioritize biotechnology at the national level
• Pillar 2: Mobilize the private sector to get U.S. products to scale
• Pillar 3: Maximize the benefits of biotechnology for defense
• Pillar 4: Out-innovate our strategic competitors
• Pillar 5: Build the biotechnology workforce of the future

• Pillar 6: Mobilize the collective strengths of our allies and partners

Full details can be found at www.biotech.senate.gov/final-report

Background on NSCEB: 

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the biorevolution. NSCEB published a comprehensive report in April 2025, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government. The bipartisan Commission is composed of Congressionally-appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit biotech.senate.gov.