[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2577-E2578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SOWING THE SEEDS THROUGH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
complement two previously introduced bills, H.R. 4434 and H.R. 4435, to 
authorize additional recommendations from a committee of the National 
Academy of Sciences, chaired by Mr. Norman Augustine. The 
recommendations of the committee's report, Rising Above the Gathering 
Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, 
reflect the consensus forged among nationally-recognized industry, 
academic and government experts.
  With this bill, Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering 
Research Act, and the previously introduced bills, I have taken steps 
to implement the Augustine Committee's highest priority, which is to 
improve K-12 math and science education by enhancing the skills and 
qualifications of math and science teachers, and to respond to the 
committee's call to ``sustain and strengthen the nation's traditional 
commitment to the long-term basic research that has the potential to be 
transformational to maintain the flow of new ideas that fuel the 
economy, provide security, and enhance the quality of life.''
  The bill I introduced today authorizes 10% increases per year in 
funding for basic research in the physical sciences, mathematical 
sciences, and engineering at the principal federal agencies supporting 
such research. These increases, if sustained, would lead to a doubling 
of basic research funding in these critical areas over 7 years.
  The bill also takes action to develop the research talent needed for 
the future by providing for up to 200 new awards per year, of $100,000 
per year for 5 years, to outstanding early-career researchers. It seeks 
to enlarge the pool of graduate students in science, math and 
engineering by creating a graduate fellowship program, with 5000 new 
fellowships per year for individuals pursuing studies in areas of 
national need.
  Finally, the bill establishes a presidential innovation award to 
stimulate scientific and engineering advances in the national interest 
and provides for the refurbishment of academic and government research 
laboratories, an essential factor to enable leading-edge research.
  These three bills are a response to a serious challenge to our 
Nation's future economic prosperity. From the Augustine report, ``This 
Nation must prepare with great urgency to preserve its strategic and 
economic security. Because other Nation's have, and probably will 
continue to have, the competitive advantage of a low-wage structure, 
the United States must compete by optimizing its knowledge-based 
resources, particularly in science and technology, and by sustaining 
the most fertile environment for new and revitalized industries and the 
well-paying jobs they bring. We have already seen that capital, 
factories, and laboratories readily move wherever they are thought to 
have the greatest return.''

  My intent in introducing these bills is to issue a call for action by 
the Congress and the Administration. The Augustine Report correctly 
identifies the challenges we face as a Nation and has developed a 
series of specific recommendations to address these challenges. The 
conclusions and recommendations in this report are not new. The problem 
is that neither the Administration nor Congress has made any real 
efforts to act.
  I hope the introduction of this legislation will begin a substantive 
discussion on the commitment and resources required to ensure our 
Nation's future economic competitiveness and that our children have 
well-paid, challenging jobs. I am committed to working with the 
private-sector, Members of Congress and the Administration in turning 
this legislation into funded programs.

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