[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5201-5202]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              STEM FIELDS

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, as Congress and the Obama 
administration grapples with how to responsibly address our long-term 
deficit, we need to remember why it is so important to get on a path to 
balanced budgets. We need to a dress the long-term deficit because it 
is a threat to America's future prosperity. It is about economic growth 
and jobs. That is why the deficit matters. The deficit is not just some 
math problem where it is solved if the numbers add up right. The 
choices we make, which spending programs we cut which tax expenditures 
we eliminate, where we continue to boost investment, matter.
  The overarching challenge facing our country is how we keep our 
economy competitive.
  We cannot compete with India and China for low-wage manufacturing 
jobs. That is not our future.
  America's future is in continuing to be the global leader in science 
and technology. America makes the best, most innovative products and 
services, and that ingenuity and excellence is our chief economic 
strength as a nation.
  But we are in danger of losing that edge. Science, technology, 
engineering and math, what we call the STEM fields, are the skills that 
drive innovation.
  And jobs in the STEM fields are expected to be the fastest-growing 
occupations of the next decade. However, not enough students in our 
country are pursuing an education in STEM subjects to keep up with the 
increased demand.
  For those students that do pursue education in STEM fields, they are 
being outperformed by international competitors. Studies show that by 
the end of eighth grade, students in the U.S. are 2 years behind their 
international peers in math. American students rank 21st in science and 
25th in math among industrialized countries. In addition, the U.S. has 
produced a declining number of Ph.Ds in science and engineering 
compared to the European Union and China over the past 3 decades. It is 
clear that to remain competitive internationally, we must encourage and 
strengthen the supply of STEM-trained graduates.
  That is why this week Leader Reid and Senators Klobuchar, Kerry, 
Begich, Coons  and I introduced legislation, the Innovation Inspiration 
School Grant Program, which will bolster our Nation's ability to 
compete in the global economy.
  My legislation will provide new incentives for our schools to think 
outside the box and embrace extracurricular and nontraditional STEM 
education programs. It establishes a competitive grant program that 
will encourage schools to partner with the private sector, both for 
financial support and to provide mentors who can serve as guides and 
role models to students.
  I am proud that New Hampshire is the home to the FIRST Robotics 
program. For over a decade, teams of students have been designing 
robots to compete against one another in regional, then national, 
competitions. On Monday we hosted FIRST teams from Maryland and 
Virginia who demonstrated in the Dirksen building how the robots they 
designed and built actually work. It is these kinds of nontraditional 
STEM programs that make a difference in the students' lives and inspire 
them to continue in STEM careers or postsecondary education.

[[Page 5202]]

  In fact, research shows that 99 percent of students who participate 
in FIRST Robotics graduate high school and almost 90 percent go on the 
college. And once in college, these students are nearly seven times 
more likely to major in engineering and twice as likely to major in 
computer science. They are also significantly more likely to attain a 
postgraduate degree. The data speaks for itself: investments in these 
sorts of programs matter and make a difference.
  I urge colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation 
that will inspire our students to become scientists, engineers, 
computer programmers and mathematicians. Our country's economic future 
depends on it.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I am going to speak for approximately 4 
minutes during morning business. I had originally intended on 15, but I 
am going to do that tomorrow on another subject. If I could be 
recognized for 4 minutes, that is my intention.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ROBERTS. I thank the Chair.

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