Policy Deep Dive: The Big, Beautiful Bill

This policy brief analyzes HR1 (“Big Beautiful Bill”), highlighting roughly $150B in defense-focused investments to modernize U.S. military capabilities (including offensive cyber operations, mesh networking, advanced C2, 5G/6G, and DIU expansion) and strengthen supply chain resilience (critical minerals, industrial base, and domestic production). It frames these measures as part of the Trump administration’s broader push for technological dominance and economic independence, alongside initiatives like the AI Action Plan and domestic semiconductor support, while noting fiscal trade-offs and deficit impacts that could constrain future policy options.