America’s Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs

This commentary was originally published in Roll Call on April 22, 2021.

America’s research and development institutions have long been the envy of our competitors, flourishing at the top of global rankings. That distinctly American edge in innovation and entrepreneurship has proved more consequential than ever during this past year.

But our state-of-the-art innovation capabilities—responsible for bringing Covid-19 vaccines and countless other breakthroughs to market—haven’t flourished here by happenstance. They have been nurtured over decades of smart policies, and those policies are now at risk.

Current misguided efforts are unwittingly pushing the very ecosystem that lays our golden eggs of innovation toward the brink of downfall.