Effort to establish a National Commission on Robotics advances in Congress

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), who co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to establish a National Commission on Robotics.

Robotics can support U.S. economic and military interests, but unified federal policy has been slow in coming. That may be changing, as Senators Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) last week introduced a bill to create an independent commission to evaluate U.S. competitiveness and recommend policies to strengthen its leadership.

“Advancements in robotics are rapidly changing how we live and work,” stated Sen. Hickenlooper. “If America is going to lead the future, we need a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead—from supply chains and national security to workforce development.”

“Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh especially, is an incredible hub of robotics talent and demonstrates that American leadership in robotics creates high-paying jobs, strengthens domestic supply chains, and drives long-term growth,” added Sen. McCormick. “The Commission on American Leadership in Robotics will bring together leading experts to help ensure the United States maintains its technological edge over our adversaries and builds the workforce needed to succeed in a technology-driven future.”

Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) introduced the companion National Commission on Robotics Act in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 7334 in February. They are members of the recently revived Congressional Robotics Caucus.

The commission would assess and make recommendations on:

Both orders for industrial automation and robot density , or the number of robots per 10,000 employees, rose in North America since 2024, according to the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ) and the Association for Advancing Automation ( A3 ). But competitive pressure from China , which has reportedly deployed more robots than the rest of the world combined, continues to increase.

“Robotics is becoming critical infrastructure for modern economies,” Aaron Prather, director of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International , told The Robot Report . “Like many other nations, the United States could benefit from a national strategy that aligns research, workforce, standards, and deployment efforts.”

“My advice is simple: if we are serious about reshoring manufacturing, we have to be just as serious about strengthening robotics,” said Robert Little, chief of robotics strategy at Novanta Inc. and a 2026 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award honoree . “America has the talent, universities, companies, and manufacturing base to lead.”