Congressman Sestak Helps Push Major U.S. Competitiveness, Science/Math Education Package through House

Press Release

Congressman Sestak Helps Push Major U.S. Competitiveness, Science/Math Education Package through House

Today, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-7) continued to make education a priority in his first term in Congress, voting ensure students, teachers, businesses and workers are a part of U.S. efforts to continue leading the world in innovation, research and technology.

Congressman Sestak voted in support of H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007, a major part of the House Democrats' Innovation Agenda.

"This bill will help the 7th District on multiple levels," said Congressman Sestak. "First, it helps us to train new teachers and provide ongoing enrichment for current teachers to make sure our students are competitive in math and science. Second, its provisions help broaden participation in science and engineering - an important sector of our local economy. And third, it supports cutting edge technologies that will provide jobs in the future."

The bill, which is made up of five bills previously passed in the House, authorizes funding for programs to create more qualified teachers in science and math fields and to support scientific research and innovation through the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

"A report in 2005 - "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," by The National Academies - reported that the U.S. was in danger of losing its competitive edge. This bill will help protect our competitive advantage and advance our economy for years to come," stated Congressman Sestak.

The series of recommendations from Rising Above the Gathering Storm included in the provisions of H.R. 2272 are:
• Creating thousands of new teachers and provide current teachers with content and pedagogical expertise in their area of teaching;
• Expanding programs to enhance the undergraduate education of the future science and engineering workforce;
• Expanding early career grant programs for outstanding young investigators at both the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy; and
• Strengthening interagency planning and coordination for research infrastructure and information technology.

The legislative package authorizes a total of $23.6 billion over fiscal years 2008 - 2010, including $21 billion for research and education programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), $2.5 billion for the research labs, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and other activities at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), and $96 million for early career awards and teacher professional development programs at the Department of Energy (DOE). An additional $70 million is authorized for these programs at DOE for fiscal years 2011-2012.

"I have made education and economic growth two of the four pillars of my campaign," said Congressman Sestak. "The 21st Century Competitiveness Act advances both of those pillars and will be a benefit to our District for years to come."

Just this morning, Congressman held his second economic summit focused on encouraging economic development by connecting local businesses with federal, state, and local resources and programs. The first Economic Development Summit brought together several hundred stakeholders from across the District to participate in discussions to address the key issues facing workforce development, access to capital, business development and growth, community economic development, and economic development strategies.

In addition, Congressman Sestak has held two education summits and brought a Congressional Field Hearing on No Child Left Behind to Radnor High School. As a result of the discussion during the first summit, Congressman Sestak worked to incorporate parental involvement in local Head Start policy councils and to extend the eligibility of Head Start families into H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act. Rep. Sestak also successfully passed an amendment he introduced to the bill which will provide up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for Head Start teachers. The second education summit explored the challenges facing our Higher Education system and Advanced Training programs.

Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of "DeepBlue," the Navy's anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the "Global War on Terrorism." He served as President Clinton's Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Source