[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 88 (Monday, June 14, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1088-E1089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICA COMPETES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 28, 2010

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 5116). Our investments in 
scientific research and education underwrite our national prosperity 
and success. Economists attribute over half of the growth in our gross 
domestic product (GDP) since World War II to progress in science and 
technology. Yet for decades, we have underinvested in our nation's 
tools for advancing innovation and competitiveness. In 2005, the 
National Academies issued a call for action in the Rising Above the 
Gathering Storm report. In 2007, Congress responded by implementing 
many of the report's recommendations in the America COMPETES Act, and 
this reauthorization would build on the progress we have made over the 
last three years.
  Basic research is a powerful source of new and unexpected discoveries 
that can transform our economy. This legislation maintains the doubling 
path for authorized funding at our nation's basic research agencies--
the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Energy's Office 
of Science. These funds support fundamental research in every 
discipline, maintain our national laboratories, and provide vital 
training for the next generation of scientists and engineers. Under 
this legislation, research grants will be awarded on the basis of 
scientific merit alone and not for any other considerations. The 
dividends from our investments in research and development are the 
breakthroughs that yield new industries, drive job growth, and sustain 
our future economic and technological competitiveness.
  The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act includes a number of new 
programs and initiatives to foster innovation. Regional Innovation 
Clusters would leverage collaboration between businesses, academic 
institutions, and other participants to facilitate the transfer of 
technologies from the laboratory to the commercial sector. The Office 
of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Department of Commerce would 
accelerate the commercialization of research and development by 
identifying ways to overcome existing barriers and providing access to 
relevant data and technical assistance. Agencies involved in the 
Networking and Information Technology Research and Development program 
would be required to develop a strategic plan to address long-term 
challenges related to information technology, encourage the transfer of 
research and development into new technologies and applications, and 
strengthen education in networking and information technology.
  Additional assistance for manufacturers and other businesses would 
promote the adoption of new technologies and improve productivity. The 
legislation requires NSF to support research in transformative advances 
in manufacturing. It increases the federal government cost share of the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program to 50 percent through 
2015, and MEP Centers would be required to inform regional community 
colleges of the skill sets needed by local manufacturers. A newly 
established Innovative Services Initiative would assist small- and 
medium-sized manufacturers in implementing energy and waste reduction 
technologies, including renewable energy systems. A loan guarantee 
program would allow manufacturers to access capital for the 
installation of innovative technologies and processes that will help 
increase their efficiency and maintain their competitiveness.
  To preserve our leadership in scientific and technical fields and 
strengthen our competitiveness in the 21st century economy, the U.S. 
must continue to produce the world's best scientists, and we must 
ensure that every student is exposed to the fundamentals of science, 
technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act would establish an interagency committee to 
coordinate federal STEM education programs and a separate advisory 
committee on STEM to present recommendations on how to better align 
federal programs with the needs of states and school districts. Updates 
to the NSF's Robert Noyce Scholarship program would allow more schools 
to participate and more qualified STEM educators to reach high-need 
schools. Support for graduate students would be strengthened, and 
academic institutions would be awarded grants to reform graduate 
education to emphasize preparation for diverse STEM careers. New grant 
and fellowship programs would encourage research in STEM education, 
help transform undergraduate education in STEM fields, and expand 
educational opportunities in energy systems science and engineering.

  Women and minorities remain underrepresented in STEM fields, and this 
legislation would provide grants for institutions of higher education 
to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups. 
Federal science agencies would be required to carry out a series of 
workshops to minimize gender bias in academia, and a uniform policy 
would be developed to assist federally funded researchers with care 
giving responsibilities in maintaining their research programs. It also 
would ensure that smaller, minority-serving institutions will be more 
fully integrated into research partnerships with major universities and 
prioritize the inclusion of these institutions in grants to establish 
regional university-industry partnerships for research and innovation.
  In the energy field, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act 
includes a first-time authorization for the Department of Energy's 
Office of Science, which is the nation's largest supporter of physical 
sciences research. Reauthorization of the Advanced Research Projects 
agency for Energy (ARPA-E),

[[Page E1089]]

which is modeled on the successful Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency (DARPA), would help us pursue high-risk, high-reward energy 
technology develop that might not receive support otherwise. The newly 
established Energy Innovation Hubs would provide for multidisciplinary 
collaborations on research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application of advanced technologies designed to tackle technological 
barriers to our national energy goals.
  Finally, I am pleased that this legislation incorporates two 
amendments that I offered. The first expresses the sense of Congress 
that the importance of peer-review and the role of scientific 
publishers in the peer-review process should be taken into account by 
the new National Science and Technology Council working group on the 
dissemination and long-term stewardship of unclassified federally 
funded research. The second amendment would help stitch together the 
diverse initiatives in the COMPETES Act by requiring the White House 
Office of Science and Technology Policy to prepare a comprehensive 
national competitiveness and innovation strategy. I look forward to 
receiving that plan for evaluating and strengthening the U.S. position 
in the global economy.
  The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act makes long overdue 
investments in the foundations of our national innovation system. It 
would create jobs in both the short- and long-term, support 
manufacturers and businesses in commercializing new technologies, help 
us pursue a clean energy economy, improve STEM education, and 
strengthen our international competitiveness. I commend Chairman Gordon 
and the Science and Technology Committee for their hard work on this 
important piece of legislation.

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