Commerce chief defends plans to cut NIST manufacturing program supporting AI projects

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced bipartisan criticism at a Senate appropriations hearing over plans to cut a program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology designed to help American manufacturers, including in the use of artificial intelligence-driven resources.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) highlighted proposed cuts in the Commerce Department’s fiscal 2026 budget request for NIST of $325 million, including the elimination of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, which he described as “a popular NIST program that supports small...