AI, Talent, and Data: Sen. Dave McCormick's Playbook for Public Leaders
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) called artificial intelligence the most important occurrence of this lifetime. In a wide-ranging discussion with President Joseph Helble, he pressed three priorities for national strength: technology, talent, and data. His message to policymakers was simple-treat these as strategic, not tactical.
McCormick, elected in fall 2024, graduated from West Point in 1987, served in the First Gulf War, worked in business, held roles as Under Secretary of the Treasury and Deputy National Security Adviser, and led Bridgewater Associates from 2009-22. He visited Lehigh University as part of the Compelling Perspectives series on "AI: Innovation, Responsibility and the Future We Shape."
The thesis: technology, talent, data
Technology drives progress. Talent creates it. Data funds it. McCormick framed these as the "critical contests" in a global race-and insisted they demand bipartisan execution.
Representing Pennsylvania, he emphasized working across the aisle. "We're the swingiest of swing states," he said. "You can't get anything done without working across the aisle."
STEM pipeline and immigration
Asked how the U.S. can close the STEM degree gap with China, McCormick pointed to higher research and development funding and a smarter approach to immigration. He argued the country should attract and keep exceptional people who build companies, labs, and public institutions. He also called for immigration reform that strengthens legal pathways and retains top graduates.
Public-private boundaries
McCormick drew a hard line: the private sector should drive innovation. Government's role is to set rules, fund basic research, and build an ecosystem that attracts talent-without propping up failing firms. "The private sector is going to drive most of this innovation if the government helps create the ecosystem where it will work," he said.
Universities, research, and trust
With the White House's Genesis Mission aiming to boost AI-driven research, Helble raised a concern: the plan doesn't clearly state how higher education is involved. McCormick said the research system should rest on federally funded labs, the private sector, and-ideally-universities. But he argued public trust in elite institutions is eroding.
Helble pushed back. Universities are "messy" by design, he said. That process surfaces ideas, tests them, and advances the best ones over time.
NSF funding and endowments
The National Science Foundation's budget has been reduced from about $10 billion to $3.9 billion for 2026, according to its Congressional Budget Request. McCormick supports the reduction, citing a need for clearer methods around indirect costs and personnel time-so taxpayers see a fair deal. He also backs a higher endowment tax on larger private universities.
Helble questioned whether shifting dollars away from well-funded universities improves outcomes. He warned that funds could disappear into the federal budget instead of being invested directly in labs and infrastructure.
For reference on NSF budget materials, see the agency's public budget documents: NSF Budget.
Pennsylvania's data center surge
Pennsylvania is seeing major data center development, including a $20 billion project-the largest private investment in state history, per the Department of Community and Economic Development. McCormick described the upside: jobs, stronger local economies, and wage growth. His main risk: a spike in electricity demand before new capacity is online.
His proposed hedge is straightforward-require each data center to secure a dedicated supply that exceeds on-site needs and contributes excess to the grid. That reduces stress on ratepayers and keeps reliability front and center.
Do communities actually want this?
Asked how to ensure Pennsylvanians support data center investments, McCormick said leaders should weigh both the benefits and the externalities. Lower barriers to high-paying jobs matter; so do electricity prices and land use. "I want to be able to stand up and say the opportunity is good for everybody," he said-and he acknowledged the debate is legitimate.
Campus guardrails for AI-and civil discourse
McCormick said universities should help students benefit from AI without outsourcing thinking. The goal is clear thinking, not dependency on tools. He also urged campuses to protect civic dialogue and encourage students to engage with people they disagree with: "I will engage in a civil discussion with anybody about anything."
What government leaders can do now
- Set a simple national scorecard: technology leadership, talent attraction/retention, and data access-measured quarterly.
- Target R&D where the private sector won't: compute, foundational models for science, and safety evaluation.
- Modernize immigration for high-skill talent-faster processing, clear pathways for STEM grads to stay and build.
- Fund universities on outcomes: transparency on indirect costs, open data, and reproducibility for publicly funded research.
- Protect the line: enable private innovation, avoid subsidizing failing firms, and focus public dollars on infrastructure and basic science.
- Plan the grid before permits: data center approvals tied to dedicated generation or contracted supply that adds surplus to the grid.
- Make community consent real: public hearings, impact assessments, local hiring commitments, and clear benefits agreements.
- Institutionalize civil dialogue: campus forums with diverse viewpoints, clear conduct rules, and incentives for debate over disruption.
- Upskill public employees on AI literacy, procurement, and risk-start with short, practical courses.
If you're building a skills plan for your agency or team, here's a curated catalog of practical AI courses by role: AI Courses by Job.
Bottom line
AI will reward governments that execute on three fronts at once: invest in the right science, attract the right people, and treat data like a strategic asset. Pair that with honest debate and community buy-in, and the gains compound. Miss the timing-especially on electricity and talent-and costs show up fast.
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