Blog: Congress Can Help America Bolster Economic Growth Through Innovation With COMPETES Act Reauthorization

Statement

Today, the House will debate and consider amendments on of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. H.R. 5116 will reauthorize the ground-breaking America COMPETES Act of 2007; a bill that has significantly bolstered American innovation, the most fundamental hope for sustainable economic growth and competitiveness in the United States and a critical driver of the economy in our District. It has helped drive new research and its commercialization, and encouraged the creation of a more dynamic business environment, and made improvements to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education that are important for our nation's long term economic health.

I am pleased that the reauthorization bill includes provisions to ensure coordination of federal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education activities by elevating an existing committee under the National Science and Technology (NSTC). Providing this coordinating mechanism for the federal STEM education programs, along with requiring the development of a STEM education strategic plan and the submission of an annual report about the budget and activities of federal STEM education programs, is critical to ensuring America remains innovative and competitive in the 21st century the global economy.

The STEM education coordination provisions of this bill are similar to those included in my own bill, the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (E-STEM) Act, H.R. 2710. To incorporate another element from H.R. 2170 into America COMPETES, stimulating collaboration between the federal and state levels throughout the nation, I have offered an amendment to the bill to make it the responsibility of the STEM Education Advisory Committee created in the bill to facilitate improved coordination.

I am also pleased that H.R. 5116 contains a reauthorization of the National Nanotechnology Initiative that incorporates numerous provisions that I originally proposed in my own legislation, the Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act, H.R. 820.

Both bills seek to focus America's nanotechnology research and development programs on areas of national need such as energy, health care, and the environment, and have provisions to help assist in the commercialization of nanotechnology.

I have long believed that it is critical that we sustain proper support for scientific research and STEM education, or our ability to compete in the global economy will be put in jeopardy. As the Joint Economic Committee noted in a new report released today, basic research plays a critical role in sparking innovation, and it is prudent for the federal government to increase its basic research expenditures now. This is why I am proud to support H.R. 5116, which authorizes those much needed investments.

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