Insider Brief
- Bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced separate robotics bills aimed at strengthening U.S. leadership in robotics and increasing scrutiny of robots manufactured by China and other foreign adversaries.
- The National Commission on Robotics Act would establish an 18-member commission to evaluate U.S. competitiveness in robotics and make recommendations on workforce development, supply chains, manufacturing, research and national security.
- The GUARD Act would require federal agencies to review humanoid and quadruped robots produced by China and other designated foreign adversaries, with systems deemed national security risks potentially barred from deployment in the United States.
Lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate have introduced separate bipartisan robotics bills that would establish a national robotics strategy and increase scrutiny of robots manufactured by China and other foreign adversaries, spurred by what lawmakers said is a growing concern in Washington over the nation’s competitiveness and security in a rapidly expanding industry.
In the Senate, Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the National Commission on Robotics Act, which would create an independent commission tasked with evaluating America’s position in robotics and recommending policies to strengthen U.S. leadership.
National Commission on Robotics
The legislation calls for an 18-member commission divided among appointments from both parties in the House and Senate, with an additional six members selected by the president, a structure intended to ensure bipartisan representation and input from the executive branch.
According to the bill’s sponsors, the proposed commission would examine the competitiveness of the domestic robotics industry, workforce development needs, supply chain risks, foreign robotics policies and opportunities for collaboration among industry, government and academic institutions. The group would be required to deliver an interim report within one year and a final set of recommendations within two years.
“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,” McCormick said in a statement announcing the bill this week.
McCormick pointed to Pennsylvania’s growing robotics sector, particularly in Pittsburgh, as evidence that leadership in robotics can boost employment, strengthen supply chains and enhance U.S. competitiveness. Hickenlooper also noted his state’s growing robotics sector highlights both the opportunities and challenges created by emerging technologies, and that the legislation is intended to support innovation while strengthening the economy.
“Advancements in robotics are rapidly changing how we live and work,” Hickenlooper added. “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.”
Supporters of the measure argue that robotics is becoming increasingly important to manufacturing, economic growth and national security, while the United States faces growing competition from countries that have made robotics a strategic priority, according to the senators.
Who is backing the Legislation?
The legislation has drawn support from a broad coalition of robotics companies, industry associations and research institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University, Gecko Robotics, Agility Robotics, FANUC America, the Association for Advancing Automation, AUVSI, the ARM Institute and several Pittsburgh-area robotics organizations.
The Senators pointed out that a companion bill was introduced in the House by Republican Congressmen Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Bob Latta (OH-05), along with Democrat Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.). Obernolte and McClellan, along with with House Select Committee on China Chairman Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), are also behind a separate bipartisan House bill announced this week that would increase federal scrutiny of robotics systems manufactured by China and other foreign adversaries.
GUARD Act
That bill, Guarding the U.S. Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance, or GUARD Act, would require U.S. national security agencies to review humanoid and quadruped robots produced by China and other designated foreign adversaries. Robots determined to pose unacceptable security risks would be added to the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List, effectively prohibiting their use in the United States. Products that are not reviewed within one year would automatically be added to the list.
Moolenaar stressed that some Chinese robotics companies maintain ties to the Chinese military and that revenues from their commercial operations help support the development of military robotics, making restrictions necessary to address national security concerns.
“Robots made by China are a threat to national security, critical infrastructure, and American workers. They contain backdoors that can be hijacked for espionage, and our legislation will stop these threats now before China can embed them throughout America,” Moolenaar noted. “Fueled by generous state subsidies, Unitree and other Chinese robotics companies are cheating against American robot makers, flooding the market with artificially cheap products, possibly bankrupting our companies, and leaving us dependent on China.”
The bill’s sponsors said the proposed legislation reflects increasing concern among some policymakers that foreign-made robots could create security vulnerabilities as robotics systems become more connected, autonomous and integrated into industrial facilities, businesses and public spaces.
“As China, Russia, Iran and North Korea devise new ways to undermine our safety and well-being in our own homes, we must remain vigilant to potential national security risks that harm, manipulate or exploit our most vulnerable, especially children,” McClellan added. “We must keep communications equipment and services that pose a threat to our country out of our households, offices and shared spaces.”
The bill builds on congressional concerns about Chinese robotics manufacturer Unitree. In 2025, Moolenaar and every member of the House Select Committee on China sent a bipartisan letter urging federal agencies to place the company on U.S. military, export-control and communications-security watchlists, arguing that its ties to China’s military-industrial ecosystem warranted closer scrutiny.
Support for GAURD Act
The GUARD Act has also received support from industry and policy organizations including AUVSI, Agility Robotics, FDD Action, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Bull Moose Project.
“Agility welcomes the introduction of the GUARD Act to address the national security, safety, and economic concerns posed by Chinese-made humanoid robots,” Agility CEO Peggy Johnson said. “This legislation sends an important market signal as U.S. robotics companies continue investing in resilient supply chains, domestic manufacturing capabilities, and trusted technologies. We believe these efforts will help strengthen America’s industrial base and reinforce U.S. leadership in the next generation of robotics.”
