Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIVENESS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 21, 2005)

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Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005 represents an important piece of legislation for this Congress as it did previously in the Science Committee and it is because of that I hoped this body would have taken into account all points of view.

After 8 years I am pleased that the Science Committee has decided to move an almost complete authorization for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST. H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005, authorizes all of NIST's programs except for the Advanced Technology Program, ATP. I have always strongly supported NIST and fully recognize the importance of all of its programs to the US industrial sector. However, H.R. 250 purports to be a bill to help the American manufacturing base. I unfortunately feel that H.R. 250 falls far short of this goal.

This is virtually the same bill that passed the Committee and House a year ago and that the Senate never took up. The U.S. manufacturing sector is facing a crisis--since 2001 we have lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs. In the first 3 months of this year, we have lost another 24,000 manufacturing jobs. A year ago, the administration announced its Manufacturing Initiative, the creation of an Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services supported by a $40 million dollar-plus bureaucracy, and established a Manufacturing Council. Since these announcements, very little has been heard from these organizations. While there is bipartisan agreement that the Federal Government needs to retain high-skill, high-pay, manufacturing jobs in the U.S., I am disappointed that this crisis has received so little attention from the Administration, the House, and the Senate.

This legislation directs the President to establish or designate an Interagency Committee to plan and coordinate Federal efforts in manufacturing research and development, with an Advisory Committee from the non-Federal sector. In addition, this bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act, NIST Act, to establish: (1) a pilot program of collaborative manufacturing research grants; (2) manufacturing sciences research fellowships; (3) manufacturing extension center competitive grants; and (4) standards education grants to develop higher education curricula on the role of standards in engineering, business, science, and economics.

Clearly, these provisions are positive in their intent, but they can be expanded without interfering with the core of the legislation. My Democratic colleagues have offered a number of good amendments which should be adopted in order to take in all points of view. Together this body can enhance the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005.

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AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MS. JACKSON-LEE OF TEXAS

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member of the full committee, and if I might add my appreciation for the cooperation of both staffs and both the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Ranking Member Gordon) for helping with this amendment, and as well the cooperation and the timeliness of this amendment.

My amendment would ensure that minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, have access to the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program. The ATE program promotes improvement in technological education at the undergraduate and secondary school levels by supporting curriculum development; the preparation and professional development of college faculty and secondary schoolteachers; internships and field experiences for faculty, teachers, and students; and other activities. We have often, Madam Chairman, spoken in the Committee on Science about the broadness of opportunity, and here lies in this bill the opportunity to enhance that with this amendment.

The Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005 is a perfect vehicle to emphasize the involvement of a diverse community, and the focus of science and technology in our Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic-serving colleges. With an emphasis on 2-year colleges, the program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our Nation's economy. It is vitally important that this high-value program is made available to minority-serving institutions, including HBCUs.

Unfortunately, we do not have nearly enough minority representation in the fields of science and engineering. Minorities represent only a small proportion of scientists and engineers in the United States. Collectively, blacks, Hispanics, and other ethnic groups, the latter includes American Indians and Alaska natives, constituted 24 percent of the total U.S. population but only 7 percent of the total science and engineering workforce in 1999. Blacks and Hispanics each accounted for about 3 percent of scientists and engineers and other ethnic groups represented less than 0.5. Furthermore, for science and engineering graduates, there are only 835,000 scientists who are female in the United States. Meanwhile, white students number 2 million, black students account for only 121,000 scientists, and Hispanic students for only 120,000 scientists.

Madam Chairman, I want to see all Americans be engaged in the sciences because that is the wave of the future. I have always said that science is the work of the 21st century, and we are in the 21st century. I believe it is important to offer an amendment that provides for the opportunities for minorities.

Might I say, in the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, I want my colleagues to know that two of our Historically Black Colleges, Xavier and Dillard, are now underwater in New Orleans. We know that Dillard produced the most number of undergraduates that went into the sciences and then went on to medical school. So this amendment may be timely because of what we are going through, and prospectively what we might be going through with Hurricane Rita.

All I can say is that the opportunity for more in the sciences and more having the opportunity under this very important competitive bill, I believe makes a first step and a good step toward the improvement of the sciences and science graduates in America.

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Madam Chairman, my amendment would ensure that minority serving institutions including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, have access to the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program, ATE. The ATE program promotes improvement in technological education at the undergraduate and secondary school levels by supporting curriculum development; the preparation and professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; internships and field experiences for faculty, teachers, and students; and other activities. With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our Nation's economy. It is vitally important that this high-value program is made available to minority serving institutions including HBCUs.

Unfortunately, we do not have nearly enough minority representation in the fields of science and engineering. Minorities represent only a small proportion of scientists and engineers in the United States. Collectively, Blacks, Hispanics, and other ethnic groups--the latter includes American Indian/Alaskan Natives--constituted 24 percent of the total U.S. population and only 7 percent of the total science and engineering workforce in 1999. Blacks and Hispanics each accounted for about 3 percent of scientists and engineers, and other ethnic groups represented less than 0.5 percent. Furthermore, for Science and Engineering graduates, there are only 835,000 scientists who are female in the United States, meanwhile white students number 2 million-plus, black students account for only 121,000 scientists and Hispanic students for only 120,000 scientists. This problem extends into the salaries paid to minorities in the fields of science and engineering. The median annual salaries of individuals in science and engineering show amongst individuals with less than 5 years experience, i.e. recent graduates, white individuals make an average of $61,000, while their black and Hispanic counterparts make only $53,000 and $55,000 respectively. Clearly, there is a disparity here that needs to be filled and I believe this amendment makes a positive step in that direction.

For most of America's history, African Americans who received a college education could only get it from an HBCU. Today, HBCUs remain one of the surest ways for an African American, or student of any race, to receive a high quality education. Seven of the top eleven producers of African American baccalaureates in engineering were HBCUs, including #1 North Carolina A&T State University. The top three producers of African American baccalaureates in health professions (#1 Southern University and A&M College, #2 Florida A&M University and #3 Howard University were HBCUs. The twelve top producers of African American baccalaureates in the physical sciences, including #1 Xavier University of Louisiana, were all HBCUs.

Hispanic Serving Institutions, HISs, are also instrumental in educating a growing minority population. According to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Hispanics are historically underrepresented in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. HSIs receive only half the Federal funding per student, on average, accorded to every other degree-granting institution. Indeed it seems sadly clear that HSIs are a long way from Federal funding parity with other institutions of higher learning.

I hope every Member of this Committee can agree on the importance of HBCUs and HSIs and I hope they will support my amendment to create equity in the fields of science and engineering.

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