In The News: Daines leads $5.2B quantum computing funding redux

• January 9, 2026

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines spoke with the Bozeman Daily Chronicle about his National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, which supports quantum research programs in Montana and across the nation. Read highlights from the story below.

Daines leads $5.2B quantum computing funding redux

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Dan Astin

January 8^th, 2026

"Montana Sen. Steve Daines is leading the brigade to recharge research and development funding for quantum computing, an advanced methodology utilizing simultaneous calculation to solve complex problems with exponential speed…

…Daines said he believes renewing the federal financial support could enable breakthroughs in medicine, wildfire detection, self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, banking and cybersecurity. The original funding for advancing the computing technology expired in 2023…

…Light mapping to detect wildfires, gas leaks, self-driving cars - a lot of this is happening in our backyard," Daines said. "Institutions like Montana State University, they are producing science, technology, engineering and math grads … some of the best talent in the world. (The funding is) so we can attract and retain Montanans and great talent from around the country…"

…Daines toured MSU's new Bozeman quantum computing research facility last October. Montana, particularly the Bozeman area and the southwestern part of the state, has one of the nation's highest per capita concentrations of photonics or light-computation companies. Improvements in the industry are not only good for business, preventing Big Sky 'brain-drain', but are important for national security, per Daines.

"We've got to beat China," Daines said. "We've got to maintain our advantage in terms of quantum computing and science. You look at what's happened from where computational power was years ago until now - (increasing) speed and efficiency will be tangible measures in terms of … cybersecurity and encryption capabilities when you've got adversaries trying to break into our systems."

Read the full story in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle HERE.

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