Science Committee Rejects ‘Heavy-Handed’ Strategies for International Technical Standards

Opening the hearing, Research and Technology Subcommittee Chair Haley Stevens (D-MI) distinguished between fair and unfair influence in standards-setting, saying, “Within the last year, both the European Union and the Chinese government laid out ambitious plans to gain supremacy in international standards-setting. These goals are legitimate as long as those nations continue to adhere to the merit-based model for standards development. We also have seen reports of nations attempting underhanded tactics like coordinated voting to pass suboptimal standards that favor their domestic industries.”

Stevens warned against implementing “heavy-handed government policies” as a response to other countries’ tactics — a view echoed by Subcommittee Ranking Member Randy Feenstra (R-IA), who explained, “Unlike most countries that have a top-down, government-led approach, the United States has a bottom-up, industry-led approach to standards-setting. We employ a voluntary system in which both standards development and implementation are driven by stakeholder needs. This market-driven approach enables competition, ensures transparency, and takes advantage of building consensus to drive us to the best possible outcomes.”