“One of my biggest complaints with public policy is we’re too reactive. And because technology now changes so rapidly, if you’re reactive, by the time you have a policy in place, it’s outdated.” -Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan

The United States accounts for just 9% of global robotics installations while China accounts for 54% — a gap that Congresswoman McClellan believes demands a proactive response from Washington. That’s the driving force behind the National Commission on Robotics Act (HR 7334), a bipartisan bill that would establish an 18-member Commission on American Leadership in Robotics to assess U.S. competitiveness, workforce needs, and supply chain security in robotics and AI.

In this episode of the Manufacturing Matters podcast, TECH B2B Marketing’s Winn Hardin and Jimmy Carroll are joined by Congresswoman McClellan, U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, to discuss why now is the time for government to get ahead of the curve on robotics and AI policy — rather than react to it after the fact.

The conversation highlights the key pillars any national robotics policy must address, from workforce development and reskilling to supply chain resilience and the ethical guardrails needed as AI and robotics increasingly converge. Congresswoman McClellan also discusses the makeup of the proposed commission, why its recommendations will need to be revisited far more frequently than traditional legislation allows, and why winning the AI race at the expense of communities, energy, and resources would be a Pyrrhic victory. Additional topics include real-world examples of robotics driving safety and efficiency — from bottling facilities to Amazon distribution centers — and how Congress can play a meaningful role in shaping the future of automation without stifling innovation.

Winn Hardin: [00:06:32] Hello, everyone, and welcome to Manufacturing Matters, where we talk about the technology and trends that are reshaping the global manufacturing industry. My name is Winn Hardin. I’ll be your host today. And I’m with my co-host, Jimmy Carroll. How are you doing, Jimmy?

Jimmy Carroll: [00:06:44] Doing well, thanks. Very excited.

Winn Hardin: [00:06:45] I am too, because today we’re lucky enough to have Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, U.S. representative for Virginia’s 4th congressional district and one of the co-authors of the National Commission on Robotics Act. And I know that’s an act that’s very, very important to a lot of our audience members out there. So, representative, thank you so much for taking time today to join us. I really appreciate it.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:07:04] Thank you.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:07:06] So, for those who don’t know, and I know that a lot of folks probably do, but just a little background: The National Commission on Robotics Act, which is HR 7334, was introduced in February [2026] by bipartisan House lawmakers with the goal of establishing an 18-member commission on American leadership in robotics. This commission will assess US competitiveness, workforce needs, and supply chain security in robotics to provide actionable policy recommendations within two years. And I know that, from a lot of discussions and presentations and roundtables at, for example, the most recent A3 Business Forum, that this is something that’s going to be very welcome in the industry. So thank you. With that, I just want to start by asking where you see the US position in robotics/AI today versus the rest of the world.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:07:56] So, on the one hand, I think we have some of the best innovators, some of the best industry leaders —— and robotics is really integrated across industry sectors, just about every industry sector. And we are a world leader, but we’re not THE world leader. And to give you some statistics on that: The US robotics sector is estimated to bring about $50 billion in economic value. That’s pretty good. But, China accounts for 54% of all robotics installations worldwide, compared to only 9% for the United States. So while we have some of the brightest and the best, we don’t have enough. So we’ve got to make sure that we are catching up to China and being really a global leader.

Winn Hardin: [00:08:49] Representative, I’d like to follow up with, why is this the perfect time to do that? In our circles, where we deal with, you know, the FANUCs, Universal Robotics, the major players … The US is known for having some of the best robotic technology on the planet. Most of the advanced work, at least up until very recent time, that were going to be shipped to multinational facilities around the world, were constructed and designed here in the US. But then they would be shipped overseas. And now it seems to be a lot of the discussion is about the economics of fielding robotic solutions. But for you, what was the tipping point that made you decide, all right, now it’s time to get busy about the NCRA.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:09:31] A couple of things. You know, I have now been in government and a policy maker for 20 years, first at the state level for 18, almost 18, and now in Congress. And I also worked in the private sector. And one of my biggest complaints with public policy is we’re too reactive. And because technology now changes so rapidly, if you’re reactive, by the time you have a policy in place, it’s outdated.

Winn Hardin: [00:10:02] Yeah.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:10:02] And so we really needed to make sure we weren’t continuing to get behind the curve from a technology perspective. And then, therefore, completely being left behind. The AI revolution has really made the changes in technology a lot faster. If you just think about how fast —— whether it’s computing, whether it’s algorithms, AI itself —— how much has changed in just a year? I think if we don’t start now —— I mean, we’re already behind. And if we don’t start now, we’ll never catch up.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:10:41] As far as this national robotics strategy goes, what, in your opinion, are the key takeaways or pillars? And how could the bill help the US become the global leader in automation.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:10:54] I think any policy that comes out of this commission really needs to focus on workforce. Because, you know, one of the downsides to how fast technology changes is your workforce is not prepared. And you’re constantly having to play catch up with getting enough of a workforce. And even though robotics is going to, in some instances, displace human workers, it’s just going to change the jobs. I think in most automations you see, it just shifts what human beings are doing. And yet if you’re just relying on —— whether it’s the K-12 system, whether it’s the higher education system, or technical schools, our community colleges —— if you’re only relying on them and not looking at workforce retraining, reskilling, or helping to teach adaptability, particularly among young people, then you’re always going to be, again, behind the curve in developing your workforce. So I think that’s the first really critical component that any policy needs to have. And then I think you need to make sure that, you know, particularly when you combine robotics and AI, you need to make sure that you have policies in place around things like ethics, or —— depending on what the robots are doing —— holding robots accountable, which I know sounds crazy.

Winn Hardin: [00:12:37] Not if it falls on you.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:12:38] You see behind me, kind of, my spot doll. And so you know that I spend a lot of time watching science fiction. But science fiction sometimes is based on a kernel of fact. And I think what really has helped inform part of my opinion around this is sitting in an energy subcommittee talking to some of the AI CEOs, and I kind of made a joke. I was like, so basically we have to worry about, you know, the Age of Ultron. And he said, yeah. So I think we need to ensure that, whether it’s robotics and AI that are used in communications or in health care, that the same sort of ethical compact between industries and patients or industries and customers, or industries and workers, or industries and communities, that that basic social compact remains intact. And so I think because, you know, robots aren’t going to replace people completely, right? They’re going to work alongside each other and there’re going to be some issues that we’re going to have to work through, especially when you start to see robots have an artificial intelligence. They’ve learned how to deceive. So we’ve got to put some guardrails around how they’re used and how they interact with human beings from a safety perspective and from a consumer protection or environmental protection perspective.

Winn Hardin: [00:14:11] Yeah. You know, first of all, I love the fact that you focus on workforce training, or retraining, because I think between robotics, AI, and the new iterations of technology that are coming out, there’s obviously going to be some serious evolution of not just our day-to-day operations, but how we make our livings and how we go about it. I mean, the thought that we need more technicians and engineers —— doesn’t have to be a full-blown engineer to run robotics; I mean, that’s the great thing about the new robot systems that are out there —— is that robots can be operated by virtually anyone with a little bit of training, you know? So it’s nice to know that by focusing on retraining we’ll also be helping to ease this transition to this new world that we’re going into.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:14:53] And the one other thing I forgot to mention that I should have mentioned is also making sure that we don’t end up with supply chain issues, that we have a robust supply chain that continues to be available throughout the process for either manufacturing, operation, maintenance, and so forth.

Winn Hardin: [00:15:13] Absolutely. And, you know, it’s interesting that it almost seems like the biggest … Between robots and AI: traditional robots are, they’re fixed or maybe they’re on a pedestal and they’re moving around, but it’s relatively simple tasks. But when you put robotics and AI together, I think you really get into those ethical concerns, those questions you were talking about, and safety.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:15:36] Yes.

Winn Hardin: [00:15:36] 100%. And if you’re in an industrial space, you know, robotic safety has always been a concern. Employee safety is always a paramount worry and concern. But when you put autonomy back together with that super-strong piece of equipment, then it’s a whole different ball game —— to the point that you’re smartly addressing both robotics and AI. What do you think the make up of this national commission could be? And if I could just throw in a secondary question on that: I know you’re going through a one to two year period, right? For an initial plan and then a two-year plan? When do you start? When do you hope to have some actionable guidelines or guidance for the rest of the market.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:16:12] As soon as possible. You know, it’ll take a while for it to stand up and meet and begin to have those discussions. So, you know, hopefully, a year at minimum. And I think [it should have] sort of a cross-section of stakeholders and experts. So both on the supply side and the demand side. So both the industries that need the robotics and the AI and those that manufacture [robots]. But I also think having education stakeholders who can help with the workforce development [is important], and logistic experts … You know, we just want to make sure any stakeholder that could be touched by a robotics policy has a seat at that table.

Winn Hardin: [00:17:09] Awesome.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:17:10] What do you see as the next steps after the commission’s report is complete?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:17:17] We implement it! Yeah, so we implement it as quickly as possible. And we revisit it because, you know, here’s my other complaint about Congress: We will pass legislation, we will pass a policy, and then we’ll be like, “oh, we’re done.” And so I think that this commission can help us do … What I’m about to say is, we’re going to need to revisit that policy very frequently, very often. We can’t wait. Typically around here, you pass a bill to develop some policy and it has a sunset period that could be anywhere from five to 10 years. And then you come back and revisit it. That’s too long. Because, like I said, technology is changing and moving so quickly. The policies that the commission recommends in, let’s say, 2028 could be outdated by 2030. And so we want to make sure … I’d like to see this commission in an advisory capacity —— not just if we put this in a federal agency —— that the commission and advisory capacity keep bringing its expertise that’s not quite as bogged down with the legislative process the way Congress is.

Winn Hardin: [00:18:41] So I want to back up a quick second. When we were talking about what you are going to do after we get the findings of the report, “implement it” is always the best answer. You know, actions are better than words. Do you see the majority of these changes coming at the regulatory level? You know, the federal level? In terms of kind of evening the playing field against other regions of the world where government and industry may have a more integrated approach, shall we say?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:19:05] You know, it could be. I suspect that they’ll have recommendations at the federal, state, and local level —— particularly state. Because to the extent that your robotics policy sort of touches on energy policy or economic development or siting or zoning or anything like that, I think you’re going to have to have a partnership with a state or local government. And they could have best practices to give to the states, they could have recommendations and best practices for industry, they could have best practices for apprenticeship programs, for K-12 education. I envision that it would have a wide variety of recommendations that could touch federal, state, local, and the private sector.

Winn Hardin: [00:20:10] That seems to me to be one of the most daunting challenges of what the NCR is trying to accomplish, because you mentioned energy sectors. I mean, there’s information security sectors, banking sectors, healthcare, there’s virtually no industry——

Jennifer McClellan: [00:20:25] Broadband, telecom. Yeah.

Winn Hardin: [00:20:28] ——that won’t be impacted by robotics, AI, or the combination thereof. So I hope it’s a really big table so you can bring a whole lot of people to get a lot of insights and guidance on that. We talked about workforce retraining. We talked about how we need more skilled technicians so we can reclaim our position as one of the as the leading … Or just continue to build, shall we say, on our position as a leading robotics and AI manufacturer. Just from your perspective, how important do you think robotics and AI are to the US manufacturing industry?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:23:01] I mean, critically important, not just for manufacturing, but distribution. So last week I visited a Niagara bottling facility. And it’s not just the Niagara water, but pretty much every bottled water that you drink that comes in the really thin bottles. Those bottles are manufactured and [the water is] poured at a Niagara bottling facility. And part of what I saw were the robots that they used to take the bottles from the bottling machinery and equipment to pallets, and then packing them all up and then putting them in the truck. It is all done by robots that are very highly sophisticated, that have sensors everywhere, that are very sensitive. I watched them in action and I watched how when they go to the truck bay, they’re sensitive enough to know, “is there a person in here?” “Is this uneven?” And some of the work that they do wouldn’t be safe for a person to do. So I think part of it is, yes, increasing safety, but they’re also much more efficient than human beings. That facility used to be the fastest bottling facility in the world for Niagara. Now they’re number two. But a lot of that is because of the robotics. So I think efficiencies and safety are the two biggest things. And then just logistically, there are places you can’t send human beings, places where it’s just safer to send robots.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:24:59] I’ve seen an Amazon distribution center and I’ve seen the little robots that kind of remind you of the little robots in Star Wars that are zooming around. But they’re big enough to put small packages on and they zip through. And then the big robots that are sort of helping to put goods in packages. And, again, they didn’t displace people; the people are now doing different things and helping to keep those robots running and checking the logistics and the supply chain and keeping them on track. So that has helped improve efficiency. Look, I have a teen and a tween. So I know this is just going to get worse with future generations. They’re used to getting stuff immediately. They don’t want to wait. And so whether it’s consumer goods meeting demand, whether it’s making sure you’re getting bottled water very quickly out into the world —— especially in a natural disaster. I mean, they’re not technically robots, but some drones can be operated robotically, making sure that robots are working with humans to get the most efficiency, the most productivity in a way that’s safe and in a way that benefits the community rather than overburdening the community, I think is critically important.

Winn Hardin: [00:26:40] Absolutely. And there’s a ton of search-and-rescue robots, actually, that are out there. Our good friends over at Boston Robotics and everyone knows Spot, and that’s, you know, one of their early applications. And what you were speaking about makes me think of the old slogan we use here in the robotics industry all the time, which is, robots take dull, dirty, and dangerous work away from humans. And then put on top of that … Up until, I think the last time I looked at the stats was somewhere around a year or so, maybe a year and a half ago, BLS was predicting up to like 20% openings in certain key manufacturing industries like welding or assembly, other jobs that we’ve traditionally had a difficult time getting young folks to go into. Although I know there’s a lot of effort and a lot of great groups out there trying to engage and bring robotics and what we call motion control and AI and imaging systems, you know, into K-12, like you were talking about earlier. I wish there was a robotics club when I was growing up in high school because the couple I’ve been to are pretty cool.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:27:39] Yeah. And we haven’t even talked about the applications for healthcare and the precision with which robotics can be used, particularly for very small things like capillaries. The precision that a robot can use, as opposed to a person —— but guided by a person, of course —— is also critically important as well.

Winn Hardin: [00:28:10] Absolutely. As the guy said, after a couple of knee surgeries. I can vouch for that robotic surgery.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:28:14] Yeah.

Winn Hardin: [00:28:15] Robotic surgery works pretty good.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:28:17] Yeah. And, you know, in rural areas —— once they get their infrastructure in place —— where you have a lot of workforce shortages, you can use robots to fill in those gaps.

Winn Hardin: [00:28:34] Absolutely. Especially when you consider that there’s all kinds of healthcare challenges in servicing the rural American areas, as well as difficulties in the economics that are involved with that. I started my career being more in the defense analyst industry. And it was so much fun. I enjoyed talking about building things and companies that helped make the world a better place rather than just blowing things up —— not that defense doesn’t have a place. It certainly does. I’m a huge fan of keeping America safe. But it is nice when we see these technologies that can impact so many people’s lives in so many different ways for the better. It’s exciting, my little corner of the world.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:29:16] Well, if you look not too long ago, like during Covid … A lot of e-commerce stores or e-commerce operations have what you call “peak season” around the holidays when there’s a lot of orders, and production and throughput has to ramp up. And I think a lot of people realize, [robotics] is the path forward. E-commerce is  not going away, and we need to embrace automation now.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:29:49] I would frame it as, Covid accelerated a trend that was already happening.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:29:54] 100%.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:29:55] Yeah.

Winn Hardin: [00:29:56] Especially in food processing and productivity, you know, certain industries that were laggards really had to step up at that time. And I think we’re all benefiting. As a matter of fact, I think the general guidance right now is that in ’26, food is still supposed to be a hot market for automation uptake. And it traditionally hasn’t been.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:30:16] You mentioned, Representative McClellan, these robots having different safety features to be able to detect certain things and recognize a person against a forklift, or whatever it might be. And AI plays into to that quite a bit. I know that the commission here is [focusing] on robotics, but obviously AI is a part of that. And we spoke not long ago to the president of the National Association of Manufacturers, Jay Timmons, and we discussed a research project that the NAM worked on with members of Congress about the AI-powered factory of the future. And in our discussion, he said, there’s a lot of people who talk about AI, including a lot of members of Congress, that don’t necessarily understand AI and how it can make us competitive and how to harness it. And in that discussion, Jay ultimately said that there’s going to be a lot of leaders who emerge and that policymakers can help shape how AI is approached in this country. I thought that was really insightful and interesting to hear. Could you give us your thoughts on AI, specifically, and how that fits into a robotics strategy? And the second part of that question is how it helps strengthen the US economy?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:31:28] Yeah. I think with AI, the beauty of it is adaptive learning. In real time, it can figure out, “how can I make this more efficient” or “what I’m doing right now might not be meeting the need, so let me try again.” All in real time. “What are my lessons learned in real time?” AI can process that in a way that is so much faster than a human being.

Winn Hardin: [00:31:58] Yeah.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:31:58] So that is going to lead innovation. And, frankly, lead innovation and changes in technology making it even more rapid. As I mentioned earlier, like any tool, AI can bring extraordinary benefits. But, like any tool, it can also be weaponized. It can also bring challenges that we can’t anticipate. And so I think it’s really important that Congress plays a role in helping to figure out those guardrails around questions like, “how do we ensure whether an algorithm has a diversity of data so that it’s not sort of unwittingly, for lack of a better word, inserting bias into something?” Or how do we make sure that —— going back to that hearing I went to —— the CEO also said, “we have to make sure that human beings control AI and not the other way around.” Right? That’s the CEO of an AI manufacturing company saying that. And I do believe we’re not prepared to think through what that means, but we need to be. And I think Congress helps play a role in that. This commission can help play a role in thinking through what those policies are going to look like.

Winn Hardin: [00:33:45] Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. When you think about the complexities … You mentioned earlier —— you know, we’re all Star Trek fans here —— trying to implement the three laws into this technology that we have now, where we’re about to have autonomous robots in the not too distant future. It’s an incredible technical challenge. And at the same time, when you look back through history, whether it was employee safety after the initial industrial revolution, we needed Congress, we needed the US government —— and states, too, state governments —— to help provide that top-down guidance.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:34:22] Yes!

Winn Hardin: [00:34:24] It’s little wild West out here right now.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:34:26] And I think … I believe in the goodness of human nature, but history has taught us that sometimes the worst impulses of human nature take over. It’s human beings who are creating and programming AI, and AI is learning from human beings. So it is not beyond the realm of possibility that AI picks up the worst parts of human nature. And just like we need to regulate human behavior, and that’s what government is for … I believe in capitalism, but I also believe left to its own devices, capitalism will not do the right thing from a human perspective, from a community perspective, from a social contract perspective. History has taught us that. And so that’s where, just like government plays that role with human beings, I think government needs to play that role with machines. And AI in particular. Robotics to a certain extent, definitely. But AI in particular. If we’re not careful, we’ll use up our natural resources much faster than any industrial revolution —— I don’t know if we’re in the fourth or the fifth now, I think we might be in the fifth or sixth —— but every industrial revolution left to its own devices, you run the risk of eating up the world’s resources.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:35:59] I tell some of my colleagues all the time, it does no good —— from a national security perspective, from a humanity perspective —— it does no good if we win the AI race with China, and yet in the process, we create more uninhabitable land, or cause food shortages, or we cause energy shortages or water shortages. Or we have priced energy and water and housing out of reach for consumers because land … And this is a real example I read in the paper this morning. The paper, that’s so quaint! It was online. But you see land selling at $6 million an acre to put a data center on it, pushing people out who cannot afford housing there anymore. If we’re not careful about finding that balance, then we might win the race and destroy our communities and our planet and our society in the process.

Winn Hardin: [00:37:08] Yeah. With great power always comes great danger. And it’s the definition of a Pyrrhic victory, right? Be careful what you wish for.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:37:16] That’s right.

Winn Hardin: [00:37:16] That’s another infamous Chinese saying that always holds true. That and, “be aware to live in interesting times.” And we certainly live in interesting times.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:37:25] We definitely live in interesting times.

Winn Hardin: [00:37:28] Congresswoman, before we let you go —— and I really appreciate you sharing your time with us and your attention and your knowledge —— is there one takeaway that you would want folks out there, especially in the robotics and AI industry, to know about NCRA and what you hope it’ll do for them?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:37:44] You know, I hope that it will bring all of the critical stakeholders and experts together to be proactive in an ongoing way in developing policies for harnessing and getting the best use out of robotics, and eventually AI, in a way that helps our humanity, that helps our communities, that helps our economy. And finds that balance that I just talked about. I think the problem with policy makers, sometimes, and members of Congress is we’re not experts and we forget to bring experts to the table in a way that is meaningful. And this commission will allow us to do that specifically for robotics and AI on an ongoing basis.

Winn Hardin: [00:38:47] Well, for the whole industry at large, let me say thank you. When are you guys kicking off the main effort, in terms of the formation of the commission and so forth?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:38:54] Well, the bill’s got to get passed first.

Winn Hardin: [00:38:55] Okay.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:38:56] But it has been filed. It’s ready to go. Hopefully we’ll pass it soon.

Winn Hardin: [00:39:05] Awesome.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:39:07] If there are folks out there that feel like they can lend an opinion or would like to reach out otherwise with questions or thoughts, what’s the best way for them to do that?

Jennifer McClellan: [00:39:16] So if you want to reach out to me directly, you just go to mcclellan.house.gov. That’ll tell you all the ways to get in touch or follow the work that I’m doing. And for every member of Congress, it’s their last name.house.gov. I think making sure that the Energy and Commerce Committee staff, both Democrats and Republicans, the chair and the ranking member, that they hear from you, and that you’re calling your member of Congress and saying, “this is important, this bill is important. This commission is important to our industry, to the future of how we can use robotics across industries.” Make your voice heard that this is a priority for you.

Jimmy Carroll: [00:40:07] I would very much encourage everybody to do that, like Congresswoman McClellan said. And if anybody has any questions or thoughts, we’d be happy to pass them along to her office. To everyone who’s listened or tuned in, we really appreciate it. If you have those questions or thoughts, reach out to us at manufacturing-matters.com. And Congresswoman McClellan, thank you again. We really appreciate it.

Jennifer McClellan: [00:40:30] Thank you.