Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) delivers remarks on new federal investment in Illinois.
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NewsTranscript
00:00e
00:12everyone morning. In the
00:14history of our state there have
00:16been events that at the time
00:18flew under the radar because
00:20well they may have felt
00:22abstract. But in retrospect
00:24turned out to be historic
00:26moments that signal the future
00:28of our state and the future of
00:30our nation. This may very well
00:34be one of those moments. It was
00:36thirty two years ago just down
00:38the road at the university of
00:39Illinois Urbana Champaign that
00:41a group of students and
00:42researchers at the national
00:44center for supercomputing
00:46applications developed and
00:48launched the first in line
00:50graphic web browser. It was
00:52called mosaic and it ended up
00:55popularizing widespread use of
00:57the word mosaic. And it was
00:59widely used by everyday people.
01:01But on the day was released no
01:04one outside the NCSA really
01:06recognized what mosaic would
01:08mean for the world. That
01:10seemingly small step forward
01:12born out of a partnership
01:13between the federal government
01:15and Illinois. And driven by an
01:17ingenuity we draw uniquely here
01:20in Illinois. Is one of the key
01:22elements that brought about the
01:24internet age a massive global
01:26change. And made the world more
01:28informed and more prosperous.
01:30And leading that charge was the
01:32defense advanced research
01:34projects agency or DARPA. Which
01:37gave birth to the fundamental
01:38elements that created the
01:40internet. It is in that same
01:43spirit that I stand here today
01:44alongside some of the brilliant
01:46minds at DARPA to celebrate
01:48another groundbreaking
01:50collaboration called the DARPA
01:52Internet of Things. And I want
01:54to take a minute to talk about
01:56the transformative impact that
01:58this partnership can have for
02:00our people and our economy. The
02:02General Assembly and I are
02:04dedicated to a vision for
02:06Illinois as the undisputed
02:08capital of quantum computing.
02:10Central to that vision is the
02:12quantum computing site where
02:14researchers and entrepreneurs
02:16from the public and private
02:18sectors come together to
02:20collaborate to share information
02:22and equipment. And commercialize
02:24quantum advancements and
02:26applications. Illinois has been
02:28one of the only states to invest
02:30in and actualize applications
02:32for quantum computing. The
02:34General Assembly and I are
02:36dedicated to a vision for
02:38Illinois as the undisputed
02:40capital of quantum computing.
02:42Central to that vision is the
02:44federal government, which is
02:46dedicated to investing in and
02:48actualize a plan for the quantum
02:50future. Fortune 500 companies
02:52and the best research
02:54institutions in the country are
02:56exploring plans for being a part
02:58of our efforts. And among the
03:00first to join us in this ever
03:02expanding universe of
03:04opportunity is DARPA. I'm very
03:06proud today to be here with
03:08President Biden and his team to
03:10establish the quantum proving
03:12ground program right here in
03:14Illinois, where quantum computing
03:16prototypes will be tested and
03:18evaluated as part of DARPA's
03:20quantum benchmarking initiative.
03:22With an initial state and
03:24federal commitment of up to
03:26$140 million each, our quantum
03:28vision takes an enormous step
03:30forward armed with the financial
03:32resources, the research
03:34infrastructure, and the global
03:36credibility of such a renowned
03:38federal agency. The top quantum
03:40researchers and companies in the
03:42world will now compete to come
03:44to Illinois for their place in
03:46our ecosystem. Paired with our
03:48previous $200 million investment
03:50in University of Chicago,
03:52University of Illinois, and the
03:54Chicago Quantum Exchange, we are
03:56positioning ourselves here as a
03:58national hub of quantum
04:00technology development and
04:02internationally. We are
04:04investing in the future of
04:06quantum technology development
04:08and, in turn, the prosperity that
04:10can come from the economic
04:12benefits of it. $60 billion in
04:14projected economic benefit and
04:16impact and thousands of new jobs
04:18potentially. This is what our
04:20vision could mean for the people
04:22of Illinois. With a project of
04:24this magnitude, we also have the
04:26opportunity and the
04:28responsibility to focus on the
04:30potential global impact of this
04:32technology. Quantum computing has
04:34the potential to unlock scientific
04:36and technological advances
04:38previously thought impossible.
04:40Unhackable cyber security,
04:42biopharmaceutical cures for
04:44diseases that previously took
04:46decades could occur in just
04:48months. Near perfect
04:50nanomaterial design, reducing
04:52microelectronics size to
04:54something that can't be seen by
04:56the human eye, and so much more.
04:58This won't happen overnight.
05:01As the leaders and scientists at
05:03DARPA know well, progress rarely
05:05comes in the form of a eureka
05:07moment, but rather with rigorous,
05:09sustained, and comprehensive
05:11research and development efforts.
05:13The beauty of the scientific
05:15process and the vision for our
05:17quantum computing ecosystem is
05:19that, with each individual
05:21breakthrough, we grow a step
05:23closer to a seismic advancement,
05:25sometimes one that no one saw
05:27coming.
05:29Today, we are committing
05:31ourselves to that process, and
05:33in doing so, advancing the
05:35potential for broad-based economic
05:37prosperity, giving greater
05:39opportunity for our people, and
05:41solidifying Illinois and the
05:43entire United States as a global
05:45leader in the efforts around
05:47quantum computing. I want to
05:49thank everybody for joining us
05:51here today. I want to thank you
05:53for believing in our vision, and
05:55thank you for helping Illinois
05:57take this quantum leap forward.
05:59And with that, there are many
06:01more puns like that that you'll
06:03hear from me over the years,
06:05probably. With that, I'll hand it
06:07over to the program manager for
06:09DARPA, the Microsystems
06:11Technology Office at DARPA, and
06:13that's Joe Altepeter. Joe?
06:15Joe Altepeter.
06:17Joe Altepeter.
06:19Joe Altepeter.
06:21Thank you, Governor Pritzker.
06:23Twenty years ago, when I was a
06:25graduate student at the University
06:27of Illinois, I was convinced
06:29quantum computers were going to
06:31change the world. Five years
06:33later, as a professor at
06:35Northwestern University, I
06:37realized that was going to be
06:39really hard, maybe impossible.
06:41And for most of the last 15 years,
06:43I have been DARPA's designated
06:45quantum computing skeptic. I am
06:47the one that they brought in to
06:49prove that the algorithm you are
06:51hoping is going to change the
06:53world, or the quantum computer you are
06:55trying to design can't ever, ever
06:57be built. But in the last
06:59few years, something has
07:01changed. What began as really tiny
07:03DARPA investments grew into a small
07:05DARPA program, which grew into a
07:07larger DARPA program. Until
07:09today, the prospect of building
07:11these machines doesn't seem quite
07:13so impossible.
07:15And if there is a real path
07:17from the scientifically
07:19interesting quantum computers of today
07:21to critical industrial
07:23tools, the United States
07:25has to know. The stakes are too
07:27high for us not to.
07:29And so, it is my great pleasure to
07:31announce a new DARPA
07:33initiative, the Quantum Benchmarking
07:35Initiative, a new, very large
07:37DARPA program designed to
07:39verify and validate if there is any
07:41commercial company who is able to
07:43build one of these critical, industrial
07:45tools in the near term.
07:47This is going to be extremely
07:49hard. And DARPA is not going
07:51to be able to do it alone, which is
07:53why we are very excited to have other
07:55partners in the federal government,
07:57the larger Department of Defense, and
07:59the Department of Energy joining
08:01with us in this mission. And
08:03representing those organizations here today
08:05are Dr. John Burke, the
08:07Principal Director for Quantum Science at the
08:09Pentagon, and Dr. Linda Horton,
08:11who is the Associate Director
08:13for the Office of Science at the Department of
08:15Energy. If this is
08:17going to work, we are going to have to build a unique
08:19and world-class test and
08:21evaluation team. But not only that,
08:23we are going to need the kind of quantum test
08:25facilities that have never been
08:27built before. So the reason we're
08:29announcing this here in Chicago
08:31is because Illinois has had the
08:33foresight to fund exactly
08:35that type of facility.
08:37And so, we are
08:39extraordinarily excited
08:41for the new DARPA Illinois
08:43Quantum Proving Ground to be a
08:46part of the larger DARPA
08:48Quantum Benchmarking Initiative.
08:50So before I step away from the microphone,
08:52I want to make sure that I'm able to thank
08:54both Senator Durbin and Congressman Foster
08:56for their sustained support of DARPA
08:58over the years. Thank you.
09:00And finally, I want to thank Governor Pritzker
09:02for your leadership and for the
09:04opportunity to be here today.
09:06I and DARPA are
09:08extremely excited to see what
09:10DARPA and Illinois are going to be able to
09:12accomplish together at the Quantum Proving Ground.
09:20Thank you, Joe.
09:22Good morning. My name is Kristen Richards
09:24and I am the Director of the Illinois Department of
09:26Commerce and Economic Opportunity
09:28or DCEO. I am
09:30honored to be here with DARPA to
09:32announce this partnership in the formation
09:34of the DARPA Illinois Quantum
09:36Proving Ground. I'd like to
09:38thank Governor Pritzker, President Harmon,
09:40Speaker Welch, and members of the
09:42Illinois General Assembly for continuing
09:44to give DCEO the tools
09:46we need to make partnerships like
09:48this one possible that attract
09:50billions of dollars in investment
09:52and create new job opportunities
09:54for current and future generations
09:56of Illinoisans.
09:58DCEO's mission is to create equitable
10:00economic opportunities across the
10:02state of Illinois. My colleagues
10:04and I at DCEO, alongside our business
10:06attraction partners at Intersect Illinois
10:08and P33, are
10:10focused on ensuring that globally
10:12Illinois' reputation
10:14is the center for quantum computing
10:16research and development, testing
10:18and prototyping is known
10:20and that companies understand
10:22there is no other place
10:24better positioned to support
10:26their efforts to find industrial
10:28and scientific use cases
10:30for quantum computing technology.
10:32DCEO is also
10:34strengthening partnerships with workforce
10:36and education partners to create the training
10:38needed to support thousands of jobs
10:40on the quantum campus, including
10:42highly skilled technical positions.
10:44We're proud to
10:46stand alongside DARPA and create
10:48this competitive environment where
10:50innovation can lead to opportunity.
10:52Thank you, and with that
10:54it is now my honor to turn it over to Senator Durbin.
11:04It's an honor to be here today on behalf of myself
11:06and Senator Duckworth
11:08on the Senate side, a total commitment
11:10to the effort that we're celebrating.
11:12The House side is going to be
11:14represented by Bill Foster as well as
11:16Krishna Marthy, Congressman
11:18who will arrive in a few moments.
11:20So many colleagues from across
11:22Illinois, industry partners
11:24and federal officials all coming together
11:26to showcase the strength of Illinois
11:28and a global hub for technology
11:30and innovation. I want to
11:32give a special shout out to the Governor
11:34and to the members of the
11:36Illinois General Assembly.
11:38Your investment put us on the
11:40map when it came to this subject.
11:42I recently met with the Director of DARPA
11:44in my office, Director
11:46Tompkins, and she said our visit
11:48to Illinois blew us away.
11:50The state gets it, understands
11:52where we're going and what we need
11:54and I want to congratulate the Governor and
11:56General Assembly for that leadership. I know it's not easy.
11:58Illinois has a storied
12:00history of leading on
12:02innovations that have changed America and the world.
12:04In the 1970s
12:06it was a little known company that
12:08started with the bold idea of putting
12:10radios in cars that
12:12called Motorola, of course,
12:14that debuted the first cell phone
12:16changing the world forever.
12:18That wasn't the only thing. We also
12:20had at the University of Chicago
12:22an extraordinary effort to harness nuclear
12:24energy which changed the world
12:26and still changes our state on a daily
12:28basis. It can go on and on and
12:31I'm sure our researchers who wrote
12:33these speeches have a long list I can
12:35add to, including
12:37the discovery and the
12:39announcement of the newly found
12:41technology in 1893
12:43at Chicago World Fair of the
12:45zipper, something we
12:47count on every day.
12:49The spirit of
12:51invention and innovation and influence has been
12:53with our state from the beginning. What's next?
12:55Today's event illustrates
12:57that our state remains committed to leading
12:59quantum technology, a field with
13:01the potential to transform, as the Governor said,
13:03cyber security, communications,
13:05financial services,
13:07medical research, and countless other
13:09applications.
13:11Through the combined efforts of Illinois'
13:13wonderful, highly
13:15regarded national labs,
13:17world-class universities,
13:19and industry leaders, now our
13:21growing partnership with DARPA through this
13:23quantum proving ground initiative,
13:25our state will continue to champion
13:27the future of quantum technologies
13:29and industries of the future.
13:31I'm grateful again to the Governor
13:33and General Assembly for the investments
13:35they've made to make this day possible.
13:37I look forward to doing our part.
13:39We have to come up with the matching
13:41funds in Washington, and the only reason
13:43there's no announcement today is because
13:45the budget is still being debated.
13:47I'm a member of that Appropriations
13:49Committee and we have weeks of effort
13:51ahead of us, but it will get done.
13:53That's why I'm working as well to
13:55work with agencies across the federal government
13:57to advance understanding and deployment
13:59of quantum technologies.
14:01I'll continue to support robust funding
14:03for DOD's investments in quantum
14:05as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
14:07Illinois is committed at every level
14:09to leading in quantum tech.
14:11I look forward to supporting our state
14:13every step of the way.
14:15And now it's my honor to introduce a friend,
14:17a fellow member of the delegation,
14:19a great congressman, the chairman,
14:21and the only member of the
14:23Ph.D. Physicist in the United States House
14:25of Representatives, Bill Foster.
14:27APPLAUSE
14:29APPLAUSE
14:31APPLAUSE
14:33Thank you, Senator.
14:35It's true, I do sometimes introduce myself
14:37as saying I represent 100% of the
14:39strategic reserve of Ph.D. Physicists
14:41in the U.S. Congress.
14:43I'm also proud to represent
14:45both of Illinois' world-leading
14:47national laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory
14:49and Fermi National Lab, where I worked
14:51for three years before getting into this crazy business here.
14:53I'd also like to thank
14:55everyone involved in making this a reality,
14:57starting with Albert Einstein,
14:59Richard Feynman,
15:01John Stuart Bell,
15:03and the long list of physicists
15:05that have gradually convinced
15:07the world that there's a theoretical
15:09possibility of a really effective
15:11quantum computer. And when
15:1380 years ago we had the theoretical
15:15possibility of a nuclear chain reaction,
15:17it was to the University of Chicago
15:19that we went to prove whether
15:21or not this idea actually worked.
15:23And I think it's very significant
15:25when we're trying to figure out
15:27how significant quantum computers might
15:29be, that it's to Illinois and Chicago
15:31that we're returning.
15:33And I think this is really
15:35the city with broad shoulders
15:37is also the city that
15:39can figure out what's nonsense
15:41and what's technically feasible.
15:43And so it's one of the reasons I'm really
15:45excited about this. And I also
15:47want to thank DARPA. Their mission
15:49is to prevent technological surprise.
15:51Or, if there's going to be technological
15:53surprise, we have to own it
15:55and not be blindsided by it.
15:57And so when you see, and when people
15:59ask me how significant quantum
16:01computing might be, I say, you know that
16:03little padlock on your web browser
16:05that indicates you have end-to-end
16:07encryption? Well, guess what?
16:09If someone else
16:11makes quantum computing work first,
16:13that padlock breaks.
16:15Everything that you think is secure
16:17on your website transactions are visible
16:19to the enemy. And because
16:21of that, under
16:23the Obama administration,
16:25NIST initiated a
16:27quantum-resistant cryptography
16:29effort that will be the first
16:31line of defense against that. But we have
16:33to understand what the capabilities are.
16:35And so DARPA is exactly
16:37right in prioritizing quantum
16:39as an emergent technology
16:41that will be powerful if it's on our side
16:44and a real risk if it's not.
16:46And so I want to thank them for being true to their mission
16:48and keeping your eyes on
16:50what's coming around the curve at us.
16:52So thank you all, and it's now my
16:54pleasure to introduce
16:56Senator President Harmon.
16:58Applause
17:00Applause
17:02Thank you, Congressman.
17:04Thank you, Senator Durbin and all of our
17:06federal partners. I also, I brag
17:08at every opportunity about Illinois' world-class
17:10research universities
17:12laboratories, and it's great to have you
17:14here in partnership as well.
17:16The great Thomas Edison once said,
17:18opportunity is missed by most people
17:20because it is dressed in overalls
17:22and looks like work.
17:24I want to commend Governor Pritzker
17:26and his team because they recognize
17:28the opportunity presented by quantum technology.
17:30And more importantly, they've enlisted
17:32the General Assembly to be partners
17:34in doing the work to position Illinois
17:36at the forefront of this transformative technology.
17:38That's why we're excited
17:40to be here today. Illinois has long
17:42been an industrial leader,
17:44a state where brains and brawn combine
17:46to propel development, solve
17:48problems, and create a better tomorrow
17:50across the country and across the globe.
17:52We reversed a river, split
17:54atoms, and built the first television
17:56remote control.
17:58I often joke that in saying
18:00quantum technology, I have reached the outer
18:02boundaries of my understanding of quantum
18:04technology. But I do
18:06understand clearly why Illinois wants
18:08to be the home of quantum technology.
18:10Just as technological innovation
18:12has changed our lives in ways
18:14we could never have imagined, quantum
18:16holds the promise of doing the same again
18:18on an unimaginable scale.
18:20And that future will happen here.
18:22I want to thank the Governor, my good friend
18:24Speaker Welch, for their commitment
18:26and partnership as we share in building
18:28a better Illinois for today and tomorrow.
18:30Thank you very much. It's my pleasure to turn
18:32the microphone over to my colleague, Speaker Chris Welch.
18:34Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, everyone.
18:41What a beautiful day
18:43to celebrate this quantum proving ground
18:45partnership. You know,
18:47Proverbs 29.18 says,
18:49where there is no vision,
18:51the people perish.
18:53And I got to tell you, because of the great vision
18:55of the best governor this state has ever had
18:57in the legislature,
18:59Illinois continues to solidify its
19:01position as the leader
19:03of quantum development and technologies.
19:05I got to tell you, I looked it up
19:07before I came here this morning.
19:09It was last year at this time
19:11that I had the pleasure of joining
19:13Governor Pritzker in London
19:15for a trade mission
19:17from July 16th through the 20th
19:19where we worked hard to
19:21keep Illinois at the forefront
19:23of discussions in this growing
19:25field. And it was
19:27this day, I believe, we were
19:29sitting at a quantum roundtable
19:31at the University of Chicago
19:33in London, Mr. President.
19:35I was sitting there most of the time saying,
19:37what is quantum?
19:39But I'm watching our governor
19:41and I'm sitting there in amazement because I'm like,
19:43what a difference it makes to have a governor
19:45that's our chief marketing officer,
19:47someone who will always tell you
19:49how great Illinois is
19:51and why it's the best place to live, work, and play.
19:53But also, I was thinking,
19:55what a great opportunity
19:57because you have the legislature,
19:59you have private
20:01enterprises working together
20:03to make all of this happen.
20:05We had John Atkinson, our friend from
20:07Intersect Illinois there,
20:09we had representatives from the University of Illinois
20:11there, and this partnership
20:13that's going to include my alma mater,
20:15Northwestern University, thank you Mr.
20:17President Schill for being here,
20:19and the Senate President's alma mater
20:21at the University of Chicago
20:23is going to play a central role in this.
20:25Partnership,
20:28collaboration,
20:30it's amazing what can happen
20:32when we're all working together.
20:34You know, the $500 million
20:36that we asked the
20:38General Assembly to approve this year
20:40is already paying
20:42amazing dividends.
20:44It's truly a team effort
20:46and I'm proud to be a part of it.
20:48This partnership is yet another example
20:50of the smart investments we're prioritizing
20:52as a state.
20:54It's an investment in this evolving and growing field,
20:56it's an investment in
20:5821st century jobs,
21:00it's an investment in our future
21:02that will grow our economy
21:04and help Illinois emerge as the leader
21:06of quantum technologies.
21:08And so, I want to thank my colleagues
21:10in the General Assembly for their hard work
21:12in getting us here today.
21:14Landing a budget plan is never easy,
21:16but it takes vision
21:18and foresight to understand what we're
21:20trying to accomplish, and we got it done.
21:22I want to thank our Governor for
21:24his support and his continued advocacy
21:26because I know tomorrow he's going to wake up
21:28and try to figure out the next project.
21:30And I want to thank our federal partners,
21:32DARPA, who also played a major role,
21:34Senator Durbin, who just is
21:36an amazing senator for the state of Illinois,
21:38Senator Duckworth, and our entire
21:40congressional delegation,
21:42but especially the doctor, Congressman Foster.
21:44Thank you for
21:46securing the new quantum-proving
21:48ground. And now it is my
21:50honor and privilege to introduce our next
21:52speaker. Please welcome Ms. Gretchen Campbell.
21:56Applause
21:58Applause
22:00Applause
22:02Thank you, Speaker Welsh, Governor Pritzker,
22:04Senator Durbin, Representatives Foster,
22:06and everyone else who is here today.
22:08It is wonderful to join you for this exciting
22:10announcement. American leadership
22:12and a continued investment in quantum
22:14information science has never been more
22:16critical. My name is Dr. Gretchen Campbell,
22:18and I serve as the Assistant Director for
22:20Quantum Information Science at the White House
22:22Office of Science and Technology Policy,
22:24as well as the Director of the National Quantum
22:26Coordination Office. President Biden
22:28has said that we'll see more technological
22:30change in the next 10 years than we've seen
22:32in the last 50 years. That's why
22:34the Biden-Harris administration is deeply
22:36committed to investing in the exploration
22:38of science and the revolutionary technologies
22:40that will shape our world, like those enabled
22:42by quantum information science. At the
22:44White House Office of Science and Technology Policy,
22:46we work to harness the power of science,
22:48technology, and innovation to achieve
22:50America's greatest aspirations
22:52and bring new possibilities to its people.
22:54We believe that we need to work to
22:56ensure that all Americans have access
22:58and benefit from emerging technologies.
23:00While quantum information science
23:02is still early in its development, and there are many
23:04hurdles ahead of us, quantum has a promise
23:06to offer future benefits to our society.
23:08Breakthroughs in quantum are poised
23:10to generate entirely new industries,
23:12good-paying jobs, and economic
23:14opportunities for all Americans.
23:16Like any powerful technologies, future quantum
23:18technologies may also create significant risks,
23:20which is why President Biden
23:22has taken steps to lay the groundwork for
23:24continued American leadership in quantum
23:26while also mitigating the risks that quantum
23:28computers pose to America's national and economic
23:30security. The National Quantum Initiative
23:32is taking a science-first approach to quantum
23:34information science while also recognizing
23:36the importance of deepening our engagements
23:38with industry, continuing to develop
23:40a skilled quantum workforce, providing
23:42critical infrastructure while maintaining
23:44national security and economic growth, and
23:46building international partnerships with like-minded
23:48countries. And while we're excited
23:50and we're very excited to work with research
23:52centers around the country, including four here
23:54in Illinois, to fully realize
23:56the promise of quantum computing and train the next
23:58generation to continue to contribute
24:00to the future quantum technology
24:02and innovation ecosystem.
24:04Quantum computers hold the potential to drive
24:06innovations across the American economy, and
24:08it is clear that America's continued
24:10technological and scientific leadership
24:12depends, at least in part, on America's
24:14ability to maintain a competitive advantage
24:16in quantum computing and quantum
24:18information science, which is why I am so
24:20glad to be here today in Illinois
24:22as part of this exciting announcement
24:24for both the DARPA Illinois Quantum
24:26Proving Ground and the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative.
24:28And with that, I'm happy to introduce
24:30Brian DeMarco.
24:38Hello, everyone. I'm very happy to be
24:40here with you today. I'm Brian DeMarco, professor
24:42of physics. I'm a quantum physicist
24:44at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
24:46and director of IQUIS, the Illinois Quantum
24:48Information Science and Technology Center.
24:50I was delighted when DARPA
24:52approached me and my colleague, Harley Johnson,
24:54professor of mechanical
24:56science and engineering and associate dean
24:58for research for
25:00Grainger Engineering at UIUC
25:02with a quantum proving ground concept.
25:04And it was my and Harley's pleasure
25:06to help plan the partnership and the program
25:08that we are announcing today,
25:10which I believe is essential to securing
25:12U.S. leadership in the global race to utility
25:14scale quantum computing.
25:16The quantum proving ground is an incredible opportunity
25:18to advance next generation computing
25:20technologies that have the potential to
25:22impact society, the economy,
25:24and national security.
25:26I look forward to working with the other
25:28members of the Chicago Quantum Exchange,
25:30the Illinois Quantum Ecosystem,
25:32and our partners to competing
25:34for proving ground funds and working to
25:36develop, deploy, and rigorously
25:38evaluate quantum computing prototypes
25:40at the Illinois Quantum Campus.
25:42Thank you to Governor Pritzker,
25:44the state of Illinois, and DARPA for
25:46making this amazing opportunity possible.
25:48And next I'd like to turn it over to
25:50Congressman Chris VanRoekel.
25:52Applause
25:54Applause
25:56Applause
25:58Applause
26:00Good morning.
26:02I'm
26:04reminded of the old saying that you don't
26:06you know you're dealing with the quantum
26:08physics mafia
26:10when they make you an offer
26:12you can't understand.
26:14And so when they asked me to
26:16come and speak here and they gave me the
26:18remarks, I took
26:20about ten minutes reading the same
26:22sentences over and over again,
26:24but I think I'm starting to get it.
26:26And what I get is that this is a big deal.
26:28This is a big deal.
26:30And, you know,
26:32Senator Durbin, my colleague Bill
26:34Foster, have
26:36been helping to lead the charge in Congress
26:38but really
26:40Governor Pritzker
26:42deserves tremendous
26:44credit for
26:46helping to pull various
26:48partners together at various
26:50levels of government to make today possible.
26:52And so I just
26:54want to say, as the ranking member of
26:56the Special Select Committee
26:58on the Strategic Competition between
27:00the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party
27:02a name almost as long as
27:04mine, that
27:06this particular
27:08quantum proving ground is going
27:10to be essential
27:12for us as a country
27:14not just the state of Illinois, not
27:16the city of Chicago, but as a country
27:18to win the strategic competition
27:20in the area of quantum computing,
27:22which is a next generation technology
27:24that the CCP as well as
27:26other countries are prioritizing
27:28in terms of leading the
27:30charge on. So what is happening
27:32here today is of
27:34enormous import far
27:36beyond Illinois.
27:38So with that I just want to say thank you,
27:40thank you, thank you to the Governor,
27:42thank you to DARPA, thank you to all of our
27:44partners and leaders in the state
27:46and in the country for selecting
27:48here as the quantum
27:50proving ground and
27:52next I'd like to
27:54introduce, reintroduce
27:56Governor Pritzker to take
27:58some very easy questions.
28:02Applause
28:04Before I take questions
28:06I just wanted to recognize
28:08something
28:10important for all of you to know,
28:12which is it is
28:14unusual when the major
28:16universities in a state
28:18are gathered
28:20together and working together and
28:22coordinating with one another
28:24and we have seen it over
28:26and over and over over the last
28:28few years that the
28:30Chancellor of the University of
28:32Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the President
28:34of the University of Chicago
28:36and the President of Northwestern
28:38University are
28:40in the same room talking about
28:42the same things,
28:44gathered around the same ideas and
28:46working together and I just, I do
28:48want to thank you all for the work
28:50that you do together and the collegiality
28:52that you bring to this
28:54and it really is advancing
28:56the prospects for
28:58our economy, our
29:00technological future
29:02in the state of Illinois and nationally
29:04so thank you.
29:06Applause
29:08Applause
29:10Happy to take
29:12questions from members of the media.
29:16They're very shy.
29:18Sarah.
29:20Okay.
29:28Yeah, it's up to
29:30because, you know, they're looking
29:32for the right opportunities to
29:34be able to advance a company
29:36and bring them to the campus and
29:38work with them so, you know, that'll
29:40happen over some period of time
29:42and so we've both committed
29:44140 million dollars to
29:46that effort, right? So it's not like
29:48someone's writing a check today for 140
29:50either side, it's
29:52more that as the opportunities
29:54arise, we're sharing in that opportunity
29:56as between us, up to 140
29:58million dollars each so we expect
30:00in the end it will be as much as 280
30:02million dollars.
30:04Can you sketch out just a little bit about what that
30:06money might go for?
30:08The idea
30:10to
30:12help support the company
30:14to create products
30:16or to
30:18do something else?
30:20We're a little early for product but
30:22I'm going to hand it over to Joe to
30:24describe. Thank you, Governor.
30:26Yeah, like the Governor said, we're not
30:28committing any dollars today but we
30:30know this is a huge challenge and it's going to be
30:32extremely expensive if you really want to know
30:34for sure that something's going to work.
30:36You're going to have to do things like vet the algorithms
30:38to see if they're going to work, work with the
30:40people whose
30:42industries we're hoping to revolutionize
30:44to make sure what we want to do is going to work.
30:46You're going to have to build some really expensive prototypes
30:48to actually kick the tires and find out if
30:50these technologies work. And you're going to
30:52have to build a lot of equipment and hire a
30:54small army of people
30:56to really vet these technologies.
30:58We're not interested in finding out if it
31:00just sounds plausible that these things might work.
31:02We really want to prove to ourselves
31:04before you build the big one
31:06that we have confidence that you could build
31:08it, it will work as designed
31:10and when you build it, it really is going
31:12to be a critical industrial tool.
31:14Does that answer the question?
31:16I'll just add one thing to what Joe
31:18said, which is, and the commercialization
31:20prospects of it are
31:22advanced significantly by having
31:24this proving ground, this endeavor
31:26with the DARPA, with the experts
31:28at DARPA to sort of make sure
31:30that, I think he used the word vetting,
31:32I would use that word too,
31:34it's good for these companies.
31:36This is the only way for them
31:38really to advance, if you ask me,
31:40is to be vetted. And being
31:42vetted by scientists at DARPA
31:44and experts from our great
31:46universities here is
31:48perhaps the
31:50most important kind of vetting you could possibly have.
31:52Do you expect this to be located on
31:54the quantum campus?
31:56Yes.
31:58Yes.
32:00Olivia.
32:17I have never
32:19and never would
32:21call for any political violence.
32:23And you can take that to the
32:25bank. That's not anything that I've
32:27ever advocated.
32:29I think that there's always hot competition
32:31in the
32:33world of ideas
32:35in the political world.
32:37And so we all advance our own
32:39ideas and
32:41when their ideas are bad ones, we call
32:43them out. But it's
32:45still true that
32:47Donald Trump is a convicted felon,
32:49an adjudicated rapist,
32:51has been a
32:53congenital liar,
32:55and is unfit for the office
32:57of President of the United States.
32:59Having said that, I am
33:01very pleased that he
33:03remains relatively unharmed, that
33:05it was a relatively minor
33:07incident for him, and of course saddened
33:09and find it extremely
33:11tragic that someone
33:13with apparently an assault weapon
33:15killed people
33:17at that rally
33:19for President Trump, and of course attempted
33:21murder.
33:23That's the life of a presidential
33:25candidate. That should never happen.
33:27And here in Illinois, as you know, we
33:29banned assault weapons.
33:31And of course, I think you've heard
33:33all of us that are here and elsewhere
33:35talk about the
33:37abhorrence that we have for
33:39political violence.
33:41Since the shooting of the Democrats,
33:43you've shifted messaging to
33:45refrain from falsehoods,
33:47pulled back some ads. Will that continue?
33:49On the outside of myself, I'm not deciding
33:51what ads get run.
33:53I think
33:55that we're in a political season.
33:57I think it's appropriate for us to just take a pause
33:59and recognize
34:01that this violence
34:03needs to be called out.
34:05We need to make sure that this does
34:07not happen in American society
34:09anymore. It is
34:11extremely disappointing that
34:13people on the other side of the aisle
34:15are, just in
34:17the last few days, calling
34:19for counter-violence
34:21as if there was anything that was
34:23done by Democrats here. It wasn't.
34:25It turns out that the shooter, in fact,
34:27was a registered Republican.
34:29And I think none of us
34:31think that anybody, whatever
34:33their political party is, ought to be
34:35committing this kind of violence.
34:37Can you also comment about
34:39President Trump's
34:41presidential pet, J.D. Vance, and also
34:43Senator Rubin, if you can also comment
34:45on that case?
34:47Well, yeah.
34:49I'd be happy to stay here for about 45 minutes
34:51to tell you about the
34:53history of J.D. Vance, but
34:55the fact is that he is someone
34:57who has very extremist views.
34:59As you may know, he is not just
35:01anti-choice against
35:03reproductive rights, but he also thinks that
35:05if you've been raped or
35:07have had incest committed
35:09against you, that you should be forced to have
35:11that child.
35:13He is someone who has ridiculed
35:15women's rights,
35:17and there's a pretty
35:19long list of very, very
35:21extreme views that he holds.
35:23And I think, of course, it's in keeping
35:25with the MAGA extremism
35:27of the broader Republican
35:29Party, so I'm sure
35:31he's being accepted by them,
35:33but I think there are a whole lot of
35:35independents and Republicans who
35:37abhor
35:39what he stands for and won't
35:41vote for that ticket.
35:43May not have before, but now especially
35:45will walk away because J.D.
35:47Vance is on the ticket.
35:49Senator, do you want to?
35:53I've been chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
35:55for four years. One of our
35:57responsibilities is filling the vacancies on
35:59the federal bench, as well as U.S.
36:01attorney positions. Under
36:03President Trump, some
36:0586 U.S. attorneys were all
36:07appointed through this
36:09process with voice votes,
36:11no record votes.
36:13When we tried to do the same thing under President
36:15Biden, there was resistance, particularly
36:17from Senator Vance. He objected
36:19to the appointment, filling the vacancy
36:21for U.S. attorney here in the Northern District of
36:23Illinois, as well as in Cleveland
36:25in his own home state.
36:27Three times or more, I went to the floor and
36:29asked him, confronted him with
36:31this decision, saying, how can
36:33you be for law and order and talk
36:35about stopping the scourge of fentanyl
36:37and other terrible things,
36:39human trafficking, and deny us
36:41to this president the leaders
36:43that they're asking for in his offices?
36:45He said, and he
36:47repeated himself over and over,
36:49his goal was to grind
36:51the Department of Justice to a halt.
36:53I had that printed on
36:55a board and put on the floor and said, did you say
36:57this? He said, I still stand by it.
36:59What was his thinking? Why would
37:01he want to stop career
37:03prosecutors from moving forward to
37:05practice? He was very clear about it.
37:07It was retribution for
37:09the weaponization of the
37:11Department of Justice toward Donald Trump.
37:13It was strictly a political move.
37:15It had nothing to do with the merits of the
37:17nominees or the needs to fill those
37:19positions. That does not give me a lot
37:21of hope in terms of what his
37:23politics mean for a
37:25lot of people who are looking for law and order
37:27all across the United States to protect their families
37:29and neighborhoods.
37:31One more.
37:33Last night
37:35at the Republican convention... Who are you looking for?
37:37Teamsters beat both
37:39of you guys.
37:41You're up, Senator.
37:43Are you guys concerned that
37:45President Biden is losing union support
37:47due to the fact that the Teamsters
37:49had spoken at RNC?
37:51There's not been a stronger president in the history
37:53of the United States for the union movement
37:55than Joe Biden. He has outspoken
37:57on the issue. He doesn't dance around or
37:59mess around when it comes to that subject.
38:01He is very direct. He supports labor unions.
38:03I do, too. When they prosper
38:05and their members prosper,
38:07the middle class prospers, and America
38:09we all grow in the right direction.
38:11Having said
38:13that, the reality is not all members
38:15of labor unions support Democratic
38:17candidates. They are individuals making
38:19their own decisions, and
38:21some unions will go one way and some
38:23the other. I believe that Joe
38:25Biden stands by his record on unions,
38:27and I do, too.
38:29I would just add
38:31that Donald Trump
38:33and the entire Republican Party have
38:35stood against workers' rights,
38:37against raising wages
38:39for working families,
38:41against keeping our workplaces
38:43safe. Those are things that unions
38:45do, fighting for
38:47working families.
38:49I realize that you might
38:51find that there are some
38:53union members who
38:55support Donald Trump,
38:57but you'll also find that the
38:59majority of unions and union
39:01members understand that it's
39:03Joe Biden that has
39:05stood up for them and is genuinely
39:07the best president that the union
39:09movement and working families have
39:11had in their lifetimes,
39:13perhaps if not ever.
39:17applause