The China threat is enormous and America must win the next great global competition

The threat posed to America by China is greater than it has been in a generation. We're at a Sputnik moment and it's coming soon over semiconductors.

Recent reporting shows China is stockpiling the tools to make chips for their own needs, resulting in shortages for America and our allied partners. In other words, the United States is sleepwalking into this generation’s Sputnik moment.  Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican, represents Texas's 10th congressional district and is the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

One of the most significant innovations that flourished as a result of the Space Race was the semiconductor. While the federal government had played a major role in supporting the U.S. semiconductor industry since the late 1940s, it was during the Space Race when innovation thrived and semiconductor technology developed at an accelerated pace. The United States aimed to not only win the Space Race, but to definitively eclipse the USSR as the leading scientific and technology nation. 

But American innovation cannot be just part of our history. As William Shakespeare wrote, "what’s past is prologue," and we must learn from history and prepare for the future.