STEM Education Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for the opportunity to speak in support of the STEM Education Act, legislation that I have cosponsored to help create a new generation of innovators.

As a graduate in mechanical engineering, I quickly learned years ago of the important role a STEM background plays in U.S. manufacturing. Later, as I started my own business ventures, I have continued to learn how hard it can be to find new graduates with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, or math.

These are jobs that drive our economy, and we need to act now to encourage students to realize the benefits in choosing one of these fields.

Among these STEM fields is commuter science, which is the primary driver for job growth among the four STEM fields of study. By 2020, there will be an estimated 4.2 million computing and information technology jobs; yet, at the current rate of students graduating from American universities and colleges, these jobs will be vastly underfilled.

We cannot let that happen. That is why we need this no-cost legislation to direct Federal agencies to include computer science as one of the definitions of STEM. This will allow the Federal Government to expand on this focus and help address the future gap in computer science.

Further, this bill will help teachers find ways to spur student interest in STEM. With more than 40 years separating us from the last Moon landing, we need to find a spark that spurs interest in STEM among young students. Whether it is a robotics competition or a simple after-school science experiment, these are the ways we will help create the next generation of great American innovators and inventors.

I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 5031.

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