Brad Smith

Artificial intelligence has enormous potential to improve productivity, accelerate scientific discovery, and strengthen American competitiveness, but we cannot ignore its impact on workers, communities, and critical infrastructure. AI is already reshaping white-collar and blue-collar industries, and Congress must ensure that the benefits are broadly shared rather than concentrated among a few large technology companies.

I support national standards requiring major data centers to publicly disclose projected electricity demand, water use, cooling methods, emissions, and grid-upgrade costs before construction begins. Communities deserve transparency and a meaningful voice in decisions affecting local water supplies, land use, and utility rates. Companies receiving federal incentives should meet strong efficiency standards, invest in water recycling and advanced cooling technologies, and source more energy from clean power.

We also need policies that prepare workers for disruption. I support expanding Pell Grants, technical education, apprenticeships, and retraining programs so workers can adapt as AI changes the labor market. Companies that profit from AI-driven productivity should help fund workforce development and transition programs.

KEYWORDS: Transparency. Community Voice. Efficiency. Workforce Protection

Wisconsin has a unique opportunity to lead in the bioeconomy because our strengths in agriculture, manufacturing, biotechnology, and energy already exist. To compete globally, we need to invest in people as aggressively as we invest in technology.

I support expanding federal investment in workforce partnerships between universities, technical colleges, private industry, and labor unions to create clear pathways into careers in agricultural technology, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. Wisconsin’s technical colleges and universities should receive additional support for certificate programs, apprenticeships, and research initiatives focused on precision agriculture, sustainable fuels, biotechnology, food science, and energy storage.

For rural communities, we should expand grants that help farmers adopt new technologies, improve efficiency, and diversify revenue through biofuels, renewable materials, and value-added agricultural products. Federal research funding should prioritize projects that create jobs and commercial opportunities in Wisconsin.

I also support strong public-private research partnerships, retraining programs, apprenticeships, and labor standards so the benefits of innovation reach workers.

Investing in science and workforce development strengthens our economy, supports rural communities, improves national competitiveness, and creates high-quality jobs that cannot easily be outsourced.

KEYWORDS: Innovation. Workforce. Agriculture. Competitiveness.

A strong public education system is one of the best economic investments we can make. If Wisconsin wants to compete in the fields mentioned above, we need to ensure that every child, whether they grow up in Milwaukee or a rural town, has access to a high-quality education and modern STEM opportunities.

I support increasing federal investment in public schools, particularly in rural districts that face declining enrollment and shrinking tax bases. Funding formulas should recognize the unique challenges of rural communities, including transportation costs and limited access to specialized courses. Every student should have access to high-speed internet, modern science labs, computer science instruction, and career and technical education programs.

I also support stronger partnerships between K-12 schools, technical colleges, universities, and local employers to expand apprenticeships, dual-credit programs, robotics teams, agricultural science programs, and hands-on STEM learning. As a youth robotics coach and mentor, I have seen firsthand how these experiences inspire students and connect education to real careers.

Finally, we must invest in teachers through competitive pay, professional development, and classroom resources, because great schools depend on attracting and retaining great educators.

KEYWORDS: Public Education. STEM Access. Rural Schools. Teacher Investment.

Science should inform policy, not be treated as an afterthought. If elected, I would rely on scientists and subject-matter experts throughout the policymaking process: when evaluating legislation, conducting oversight, assessing economic and environmental impacts, and measuring whether government programs are actually achieving their goals.

On issues such as public health, agriculture, energy, climate, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and national security, I believe elected officials have a responsibility to seek out the best available evidence and understand both the benefits and tradeoffs of proposed policies. That means consulting researchers at universities, federal agencies, national laboratories, and private industry, as well as the scientists and engineers working directly in Wisconsin’s businesses and research institutions.

Scientific expertise should not dictate policy on its own, however. Elected representatives must also consider economic realities, ethical concerns, and the needs of their constituents. With that said, ignoring evidence leads to bad decisions and wasted taxpayer dollars.

My approach is to start with the data, listen to experts, ask difficult questions, and remain willing to change course when new evidence emerges. Good policy requires humility and a recognition that complex problems are best solved when science, industry, and communities work together.

KEYWORDS: Evidence. Expertise. Accountability. Adaptability.

I strongly support robust federal investment in scientific research through the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy national laboratories, and other research agencies because these investments improve lives, strengthen our economy, and create high-quality jobs.

I oppose indiscriminate cuts to scientific research funding and support multi-year federal funding commitments that give universities and research institutions the stability they need to pursue long-term projects. I also support expanding partnerships between federal agencies, universities, hospitals, and private industry to accelerate the commercialization of new discoveries and ensure that breakthroughs developed in Wisconsin create jobs here at home.

Research funding should also be tied to workforce development. Expanding grants, fellowships, internships, and apprenticeships in science, engineering, healthcare, and biotechnology will help build the next generation of innovators while keeping talented graduates in Wisconsin.

The return on these investments is substantial: scientific research leads to new treatments, stronger public health, greater economic competitiveness, and industries that can sustain communities for decades. America’s leadership in science has always been one of our greatest strengths, and we cannot afford to surrender that advantage.”

KEYWORDS: Research Investment. Innovation. Workforce Development. Competitiveness.