[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S5177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AMERICA COMPETES ACT

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I congratulate Senator Bingaman and Senator 
Alexander for the passage of America COMPETES, legislation which they 
crafted carefully to enhance American innovation and competitiveness. I 
also thank them for accepting three amendments which I offered, which 
will help expand the range of innovative possibilities by which America 
faces its competitive challenges.
  Let me explain this. The president of the National Academy of 
Engineering once said that innovation is a profoundly creative process, 
and that like other creative processes, it depends on the life 
experiences of the people involved. If we include a more diverse sample 
of our population, we will derive more varied and more innovative 
design options. We become more competitive by embracing our diversity, 
by involving a more representative cross-section of our populace in 
science, technology, and engineering endeavors.
  To increase participation, I have offered three amendments that have 
been accepted into America COMPETES. The first establishes a mentoring 
program to support women and underrepresented groups as they progress 
through science and technology education programs, increasing the 
likelihood of their success. I also propose that groups representing 
women and minority scientists and engineers be involved as strategies 
are developed to increase America's competitiveness.
  Also accepted was an amendment to increase the math and problem 
solving skills of young learners, by providing summer learning 
opportunities for students in elementary grades. This amendment springs 
from legislation I introduced earlier, with Senator Mikulski, the STEP 
UP Act, S. 116. This legislation responds to evidence showing that 
students may lose several months equivalent of math skills during the 
summer, if not provided learning opportunities when not in school. This 
is particularly important for children of poverty, for whom summer 
learning losses are greatest. Summer programs combat this loss in 
knowledge and skills, and well-designed programs can fuel the curiosity 
of children, helping them become active problem solvers and learners 
when they return to school in the fall.
  I thank my colleagues for their support of these amendments.

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