[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 84 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6272-H6275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                STEM EDUCATION COORDINATION ACT OF 2009

  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1709) to establish a committee under the National Science 
and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics education activities and 
programs of all Federal agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1709

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Education Coordination 
     Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

       In this Act, the term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
     engineering, and mathematics.

     SEC. 3. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL STEM EDUCATION.

       (a) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science 
     and Technology Policy shall establish a committee under the 
     National Science and Technology Council with the 
     responsibility to coordinate Federal programs and activities 
     in support of STEM education, including at the National 
     Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Education, 
     and all other Federal agencies that have programs and 
     activities in support of STEM education.
       (b) Responsibilities of the Committee.--The committee 
     established under subsection (a) shall--
       (1) coordinate the STEM education activities and programs 
     of the Federal agencies;
       (2) develop, implement through the participating agencies, 
     and update once every 5 years a 5-year STEM education 
     strategic plan, which shall--
       (A) specify and prioritize annual and long-term objectives;
       (B) specify the common metrics that will be used to assess 
     progress toward achieving the objectives;
       (C) describe the approaches that will be taken by each 
     participating agency to assess the effectiveness of its STEM 
     education programs and activities; and
       (D) with respect to subparagraph (A), describe the role of 
     each agency in supporting programs and activities designed to 
     achieve the objectives; and
       (3) establish, periodically update, and maintain an 
     inventory of federally sponsored STEM education programs and 
     activities, including documentation of assessments of the 
     effectiveness of such programs and activities and rates of 
     participation by underrepresented minorities in such programs 
     and activities.
       (c) Responsibilities of OSTP.--The Director of the Office 
     of Science and Technology Policy shall encourage and monitor 
     the efforts of the participating agencies to ensure that the 
     strategic plan under subsection (b)(2) is developed and 
     executed effectively and that the objectives of the strategic 
     plan are met.

[[Page H6273]]

       (d) Report.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
     Technology Policy shall transmit a report annually to 
     Congress at the time of the President's budget request 
     describing the plan required under subsection (b)(2). The 
     annual report shall include--
       (1) a description of the STEM education programs and 
     activities for the previous and current fiscal years, and the 
     proposed programs and activities under the President's budget 
     request, of each participating Federal agency;
       (2) the levels of funding for each participating Federal 
     agency for the programs and activities described under 
     paragraph (1) for the previous fiscal year and under the 
     President's budget request;
       (3) except for the initial annual report, a description of 
     the progress made in carrying out the implementation plan, 
     including a description of the outcome of any program 
     assessments completed in the previous year, and any changes 
     made to that plan since the previous annual report; and
       (4) a description of how the participating Federal agencies 
     will disseminate information about federally supported 
     resources for STEM education practitioners, including teacher 
     professional development programs, to States and to STEM 
     education practitioners, including to teachers and 
     administrators in schools that meet the criteria described in 
     subsection (c)(1) (A) and (B) of section 3175 of the 
     Department of Energy Science Education Enhancement Act (42 
     U.S.C. 7381j(c)(1) (A) and (B)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Baird) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1709, as amended, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BAIRD. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, over the past decade, report after report has come out 
highlighting the importance of science, technology, engineering, and 
math, so-called STEM education, to our Nation's competitiveness in the 
rapidly changing 21st century economy.
  The National Academy's report ``Rising above the Gathering Storm'' 
sent up a red flag that our Nation's standing as a global leader is at 
risk if we do not improve STEM education in the country. The first and 
highest priority recommendation of the Gathering Storm report was to 
``increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 science and 
mathematics education.''
  My colleagues and I on the Science and Technology Committee are 
passionate about this issue. Over the course of the last 2 years, under 
the leadership of Chairman Gordon, the committee held several hearings 
with STEM educators and agency representatives to explore what role the 
Federal Government can play in improving STEM education. A key 
recommendation that came up time and time again was the need for the 
interagency coordination of Federal STEM education activities and to 
improve the dissemination of these activities to practitioners. It will 
undoubtedly require strong commitment and leadership at the local and 
State levels to address the shortcomings of our Nation's science and 
math education system.
  The Federal Government also has a role to play because of the 
richness of the S&T resources in our Federal agencies. There are 
already many valuable programs being funded through the Federal 
agencies that could play an important role in sharing knowledge and 
passion for STEM with students, teachers, and with the general public. 
Unfortunately, many of the agencies have had difficulty in evaluating 
their programs and in building an awareness of those programs among 
teachers.
  In order to make the most effective use of our Federal investment in 
STEM education, it is crucial that the agencies have a forum where they 
can come together to discuss tools for improved dissemination, to share 
research findings, and to create common metrics for evaluation.
  H.R. 1709 would establish a committee on STEM education under the 
National Science and Technology Council at the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy. This committee would be charged with coordinating 
the STEM education programs and activities being funded through the 
Federal R&D mission agencies. This bill also requires that the 
committee establish and maintain a comprehensive inventory of federally 
sponsored STEM education activities. This will be a valuable database 
that will help STEM educators across the country learn of the resources 
the Federal Government has to offer.
  This is a strong, bipartisan bill. I want to commend Chairman Gordon, 
Mr. Hall, Dr. Lipinski, and Dr. Ehlers for introducing it and for their 
continued leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank Chairman 
Miller of the Education and Labor Committee for working with us to 
bring this bill to the floor.
  I would like to insert an exchange of letters between Chairman Gordon 
and Chairman Miller at this time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                             Committee on Education and Labor,

                                     Washington, DC, June 1, 2009.
     Hon. Bart Gordon,
     Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Gordon: I write to confirm our mutual 
     understanding regarding H.R. 1709, the STEM Education 
     Coordination Act of 2009. This legislation contains subject 
     matter within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Education 
     and Labor. However, in order to expedite floor consideration 
     of this important legislation, the Committee waives 
     consideration of the bill.
       The Committee on Education and Labor takes this action only 
     with the understanding that the committee's jurisdictional 
     interests over this and similar legislation are in no way 
     diminished or altered.
       The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment 
     to any House-Senate conference on this legislation and would 
     appreciate your support if such a request is made. Finally, I 
     ask that you please include this letter in the Congressional 
     Record during consideration of H.R. 1709 on the House Floor. 
     Thank you for your attention and cooperation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    George Miller,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Science and 
           Technology,
                                     Washington, DC, June 1, 2009.
     Hon. George Miller,
     Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of 
         Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Miller: Thank you for your June 1, 2009 
     letter regarding H.R. 1709, the STEM Education Coordination 
     Act of 2009. Your support for this legislation and your 
     assistance in ensuring its timely consideration are greatly 
     appreciated.
       I agree that provisions in the bill are within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and Labor. I 
     acknowledge that by waiving rights to further consideration 
     of H.R. 1709, your Committee is not relinquishing its 
     jurisdiction and I will fully support your request to be 
     represented in a House-Senate conference on those provisions 
     over which the Committee on Education and Labor has 
     jurisdiction in H.R. 1709. A copy of our letters will be 
     placed in the Congressional Record during consideration of 
     the bill on the House floor.
       I value your cooperation and look forward to working with 
     you as we move ahead with this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Bart Gordon,
                                                         Chairman.

  It is also important to acknowledge the hard work of staff on this 
bill. I would like to thank Dahlia Sokolov and Bess Caughran on the 
majority staff and Mele Williams on the minority staff. I would also 
like to thank the former staff director of the Research and Science 
Education Subcommittee, Jim Wilson, for his important work on this 
topic before he retired last year.
  H.R. 1709 has the support of many scientific societies, businesses, 
and education organizations, including the National Science Teachers 
Association, the Business-Higher Education Forum, the American Chemical 
Society, and the Triangle Coalition.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. I rise in support of H.R. 1709, the STEM Education 
Coordination Act of 2009, and I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleague in supporting H.R. 
1709, the Federal STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009. With this 
bill, Congress is basically elevating a subcommittee within the 
National Science and Technology Council to a full committee to ensure 
that STEM education activities within the Federal Government are 
getting the attention they need.

[[Page H6274]]

  In addition to coordinating all Federal STEM education programs, this 
committee will be responsible for developing a strategic plan and for 
maintaining an inventory of all Federal STEM education programs. I 
believe this is appropriate and important. It is just as imperative 
that we will be able to identify those STEM programs in the Federal 
Government that are effective and that could serve as models for other 
agencies as it is for us to eliminate those programs that are 
duplicative and wasteful.
  Ranking Member Hall and Dr. Ehlers, the ranking member of the 
Research and Science Education Subcommittee, are original sponsors of 
this measure and have worked closely with Chairman Gordon and Mr. 
Lipinski on this legislation. I join them in support of H.R. 1709, and 
I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Polis), a valuable member of the committee who has been 
particularly concerned about STEM education.
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1709, the 
STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009. I would like to thank Chairman 
Gordon as well as my colleagues on the Committee on Science and 
Technology for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me for its passage.
  There is no doubt that being a leader in science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics, or STEM education, is essential for our 
Nation to be an economic leader in the 21st century. Our Nation already 
has the world's premier institutions of higher education, and my 
district in Colorado is home to some of the most prestigious leaders in 
research. The climate change research done at NCAR and at NOAA and the 
renewable energy research done at the National Renewable Energy 
Laboratory have been great sources of pride for our community, as well 
as economic drivers for our State and our Nation.
  In order to build upon these achievements, we must ensure that young 
Americans choose to and are given the tools to build careers in 
science. It is vital that our young people are exposed to STEM 
education early on. Early exposure, particularly for underrepresented 
groups, including women and minorities, will help spark a life-long 
interest in education in these fields. STEM education, just like the 
arts and athletics, is critical to a broad-based education that gives 
students the analytical skills that will ensure that the American labor 
force, whether one becomes a climatologist, an architect, or even a 
Member of Congress, is the smartest and most productive in the world.

                              {time}  1430

  STEM education makes communities across the Nation more self-reliant 
in rural and urban America alike. By removing barriers to STEM 
education, it will help all communities have a reliable, highly skilled 
workforce. We have the technology and the educators to bring knowledge 
to every corner of our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, what we have lacked is the will. Today, we have the 
opportunity to vote on a bill that will help every community prepare 
the next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics. The long-term economic benefits of this action are clear. 
But so, too, is the sense of pride when communities raise and graduate 
their own engineers who will design their own roadways and scientists 
who ensure that their next crop is healthy.
  I would like to once again thank Chairman Gordon and the committee 
and his staff for bringing this terrific bill to the floor.
  Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent and yield as much 
time as he can consume to my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Broun).
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I'm a scientist, a medical doctor; and I believe wholeheartedly in 
science education. Whether this bill is a good idea or not remains to 
be seen. Whether it will pass or not, I think that it probably will.
  The thing that concerns me is the education of the American public 
about not only the money they spent on this--which we don't have--but 
the money that is going to be spent and taken out of their pockets for 
what is called cap-and-trade here in this House of Representatives and 
in the Congress of the United States.
  This administration, the leadership in the House and the Senate, are 
forcing upon the American people a policy that is going to increase 
taxes on every single household in America over $3,100 per family--
that's rich, poor, and between. The people on limited incomes, the 
retirees, are going to be hit the hardest because experts agree that 
they spend more of their income on energy-related sources than any 
other thing.
  It's also going to run up the cost of food, medicine, things that 
everybody buys. In fact, every good and service in this country is 
going to go up because of this tax-and-cap, as I call it--or cap-and-
tax, cap-and-trade legislation that is being brought to this floor, and 
it's going to be forced down the throats of the American people.
  The President himself said that it was going to increase electricity 
costs for all Americans. The President also said that it's about 
revenue. It's not about the environment. He said if this is not passed, 
then he won't have the money to force the socialized medicine program 
that he's trying to introduce in this Congress and wants to pass by the 
August break. The American people need to be educated about how bad 
this policy is. We've got to stop it.
  Republicans have offered many alternatives to a non-stimulus bill. 
Our alternatives were not heard. To a housing crisis, our alternatives 
were not heard; to a banking crisis, our alternatives were not heard. 
Over and over again, Republicans have offered alternatives that the 
leadership in this House have been obstructionists and not allowed 
those things to be heard.
  The American people need to understand that. We're headed down a road 
of socialism, of communism, of greater control of people's lives and 
the loss of the control of your money and your freedom. And the 
American people need to stand up and say ``no.'' I do believe in 
science and education, but the American people need to educate 
themselves to the bad policy that the leadership in this Congress are 
forcing upon them, shoving down their throats as a steamroller of 
socialism that's being forced down the throats of the American people 
that's going to slay the American economy.
  It's going to kill jobs. This cap-and-tax legislation is estimated to 
cost somewhere between 1.7 to 8 million jobs. The President says it's 
going to create green jobs. Well, in Spain, their cap-and-tax has, for 
every job created, they've lost 2.2 jobs.
  It's wrong for America; it's wrong for the working people; it's wrong 
for the poor people; it's wrong for the retirees. It's absolutely the 
wrong thing, and the American people need to be educated about that. 
Stand up and say ``no'' to cap-and-trade legislation.
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I would just recognize myself for just a 
brief comment.
  The gentleman from Georgia has repeatedly in the Science Committee 
and on the floor of the House demonstrated the urgent need to improve 
STEM education in this country, and I thank him for that.
  I would reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I see no one on my side of the aisle 
requesting time. So I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 1709--the STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009. As a former 
Member of the Science Committee, I commend my colleague from 
Tennessee--Chairman Bart Gordon--for his leadership in crafting this 
thoughtful legislation that was reported to the House on a broad 
bipartisan basis.
  As a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in Chemistry, I know how 
important it will be that there is a continued focus on STEM--science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics--education in order for our 
future workforce to be competitive in a global, technology-based, 
economy. Unfortunately, we are simply not graduating enough students in 
these critical fields of science and engineering compared to the rest 
of the world. According to a recent study, 50% of students in China 
receive their undergraduate degrees in natural science or engineering; 
in Singapore, that number is 67%, and 38% of South Korea's graduates 
fall

[[Page H6275]]

into these fields. Unfortunately, the United States is lagging behind 
with a mere 15% of graduates in natural science or engineering.
  During the 110th Congress, I was proud to work with my colleagues on 
the Science Committee to pass the America COMPETES Act, which was 
signed into law by President Bush on August 9, 2007. This legislation 
took a good first step in addressing our shortcomings in STEM 
education, but we still have a large gap to close in this area.
  H.R. 1709 would establish a committee at the National Science and 
Technology Council through the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
that would coordinate the federal programs that support STEM education 
across the country. I believe that this legislation will help further 
the progress and efforts that have been made by the America COMPETES 
Act. Furthermore, I commend all of my colleagues on the Science 
Committee for working in a bipartisan manner to move this important 
legislation forward.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1709.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to 
express my support of H.R. 1709--the STEM Education Coordination Act of 
2009.
  Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are critical 
subjects that are related to our national competitiveness.
  As a cosponsor of this legislation, I support the work of the 
Committee on Science and Technology as it developed and refined the 
bill.
  During committee consideration of the bill, I offered several 
amendments that passed unanimously. One such amendment was designed to 
strengthen the role of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 
monitoring quantifiable progress of federal STEM education programs 
across the agencies. The amendment specified that the committee within 
the National Science & Technology Council shall determine common 
metrics to assess progress toward achieving the objectives in its STEM 
education strategic plan.
  In addition, the committee accepted an amendment added a 
responsibility of OSTP: to encourage and monitor the agency efforts to 
ensure that the strategic plan is executed effectively. Finally, I 
offered an amendment that required that the annual report submitted by 
OSTP should include a description of the outcome of any program 
assessments completed in the previous year.
  Better coordination of our federally-funded education programs for 
STEM is needed. H.R. 1709 aims to achieve that goal, so that good 
programs can be supported and refined. It is my belief that a more 
competitive America will come as a result of stronger, better-
coordinated STEM education programs. I support this legislation and 
urge its passage.
  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I am honored and pleased by the action we 
are taking today on H.R. 1709, the ``STEM Education Coordination Act of 
2009,'' to ensure coordination of federal science, technology, 
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education activities by elevating an 
existing committee under the National Science and Technology (NSTC).
  H.R. 1709 focuses on the coordination of the federal government's 
STEM education activities. Providing this coordinating mechanism for 
the federal STEM education programs is critical to ensuring America 
remains innovative and competitive in the 21st century global economy.
  According to the Academic Competitiveness Council's (ACC) report, in 
2006 the U.S. sponsored 105 STEM education programs at more than a 
dozen different Federal Agencies. These programs devote approximately 
$3.12 billion to STEM education activities spanning pre-kindergarten 
through postgraduate education and outreach. The report notes that many 
of these Agencies do not share information or work collaboratively on 
similar programs. The ACC found that ``coordination among agencies 
could be improved to avoid, for example, grants to numerous projects 
that support the same sorts of interventions... there appears to be a 
lack of communication among the agencies about the work they are 
funding and the results that are being generated . . . agencies are 
often uninformed by the results of earlier projects.''
  H.R. 1709 is similar to the one of the sections of the ``Enhancing 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (E-STEM) 
Act of 2009'', H.R. 2710 which I recently reintroduced. The E-STEM Act 
establishes a comprehensive approach to improving coordination and 
coherence of STEM education activities and stimulates collaboration at 
both the federal and state levels throughout the nation. My legislation 
provides federal agencies and states with the infrastructure required 
to work collaboratively, establish national STEM education goals, 
coordinate STEM education initiatives, and to avoid unnecessary 
duplication among these efforts. In addition the E-STEM Act would 
require the NSTC committee to create a coordinated interagency STEM 
education budget and a five year projection of the STEM workforce.
  Strengthening STEM education is important for our nation to remain 
innovative and ensure our future prosperity. During a time of rapid 
technological and scientific advance, scientific literacy is 
increasingly important for full participation in our Democracy. I want 
to thank Chairman Gordon, Representative Baird, and Ranking Member 
Ehlers for bringing this legislation to the floor and I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. I would also 
invite my colleagues to cosponsor the E-STEM Act to encourage similar 
coordination among States and improve the dissemination of promising 
practices and STEM education resources.
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, with no other speakers, I urge passage of 
this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1709, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________