Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter today voted with the House of Representatives to pass the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5116), which will increase the competitiveness of the United States by investing in 21st century science and technology jobs. This legislation will modernize manufacturing, spur American innovation through clean energy research, and strengthen math and science education for students. This bill passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 262 to 150.
"This legislation will create jobs here at home while ensuring the U.S. remains at the forefront of scientific and technological research," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "As a member of the House Trade Working Group, I believe it is critical to spur job growth in the U.S., not in China and India."
This bill will double funding for basic scientific research, create jobs with innovative technology loan guarantees for small and mid-sized manufacturers and Regional Innovation Clusters to expand scientific and economic collaboration, promote high-risk/high reward research to pioneer cutting edge discoveries through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), and improve science, math, technology, and engineering education for students.
"For too long, math and science education has been put on the backburner," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "It is vital to invest in these fields now so that our future generations can be worldwide technological leaders."
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act is supported by over 750 organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Council on Competitiveness.