[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1675-1679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ACADEMIC COMPETITION RESOLUTION OF 2013

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 77) establishing an academic 
competition in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics among students in Congressional districts.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 77

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This resolution may be cited as the ``Academic Competition 
     Resolution of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The House of Representatives finds as follows:
       (1) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
     Mathematics) fields and knowledge have been integral to the 
     development of civilization over the centuries.
       (2) STEM fields have been, and continue to be, vital to a 
     healthy and thriving United States.
       (3) STEM fields are even more important in a world and 
     nation of continuous and rapid technological advancements and 
     needs.
       (4) STEM fields are necessary to ensure a qualified 
     national workforce and growing American economy, and a recent 
     study predicted that one-half of all STEM jobs in 2020 will 
     be related to the field of computer science.
       (5) A recent study found that less than one-third of eighth 
     graders in the United States showed proficiency in 
     mathematics and science.
       (6) A recent study found that only 9 States allowed 
     computer science courses to count toward high school 
     students' core graduation requirements.
       (7) A recent study found that only one-third of the 
     bachelor's degrees earned in the United States are in a STEM 
     field.
       (8) A recent study found that more than one-half of the 
     science and engineering graduate students in institutions of 
     higher education in the United States are from outside the 
     United States.
       (9) Efforts to encourage students to work in STEM fields 
     will enhance collaborative efforts between our secondary 
     education systems and STEM-related fields and industries.
       (10) The global economy demands that the United States 
     continue to lead the world in innovation, creativity, and 
     STEM-related research.
       (11) Bringing together Members of Congress and their 
     younger constituents to participate in activities that will 
     result in a deeper appreciation for STEM fields will foster 
     enthusiasm for education in the sciences.
       (12) The support which students will gain through 
     Congressional recognition of their work on STEM-related 
     projects will encourage them to pursue career paths in STEM 
     studies and research.
       (13) It is appropriate for the House of Representatives to 
     institute a new and worthwhile competition to encourage 
     students to participate in STEM studies and research.
       (14) Rapid technological change means the competition will 
     evolve over time and will challenge students in specialized 
     areas of science, technology, engineering and math to ensure 
     maximum participation. Because of the importance of computer 
     science it would be appropriate to initially challenge 
     students to develop so-called ``apps'' for mobile, tablet, 
     and computer platforms.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL COMPETITION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 
                   ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.

       (a) Establishment of Competition.--There is hereby 
     established an academic competition in the fields of science, 
     technology, engineering, and mathematics which shall be held 
     each year among students in each Congressional district.
       (b) Regulations.--The competition under this resolution 
     shall be carried out in accordance with such regulations as 
     may be prescribed by the Committee on House Administration, 
     except that the regulations shall permit the office of a 
     Member to seek guidance from outside experts in the fields of 
     science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for the 
     purposes of establishing criteria for the selection of 
     competition judges and for the judgment of competition 
     submissions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
on the House resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise today in very strong support of House Resolution 77 to 
establish an academic competition that promotes innovation among 
students from across the country in the science, technology, 
engineering, and math--or the ``STEM'' fields, as they are called.
  This program will be modeled after the Congressional Art Competition. 
This Congressional Academic Competition will be a nationwide STEM 
innovation competition for participating

[[Page 1676]]

students in every congressional district. Each year, students will 
submit STEM projects or programs to their Representatives for 
consideration. Representatives, Members of Congress, will then select 
the winning submissions that will be recognized in Washington, D.C., 
each year. The initial focus of this competition will be software 
applications. Submissions will likely include smart phone apps, 
management software programs, and social media technologies.
  STEM positions are among the fastest growing occupations. 
Unfortunately, organizations are having a difficult time filling these 
positions with qualified and diverse candidates. At least half the 
growth in the U.S. gross domestic product over the last 50 years has 
been due to science and engineering. Yet the United States, 
unfortunately, is losing its competitive edge in those fields. 
According to a 2010 National Academies report, the United States ranked 
27th among developed countries in the proportion of college students 
earning bachelor's degrees in science or engineering.
  As I mentioned, it is our intent to model this program after the 
Artistic Discovery Competition. I would say, Mr. Speaker, since my 
arrival here in Congress, I've just marveled at the incredible 
abilities, the talents, the creativity of young artists from my 
district, and I have certainly been honored to display the winning 
submission here in the Capitol building.
  I truly believe that the Artistic Discovery has worked to inspire 
those artists to hone their skills and advance their creativity. This 
STEM competition, this program that we are talking about today, could 
do so much more of the same and perhaps help us discover the next Steve 
Jobs or Bill Gates. This would not only help our young people to 
thrive, but it would also advance our entire economy.
  A study by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and 
Technology found that, over the next decade, ``economic forecasts point 
to a need for producing approximately 1 million more college graduates 
in STEM fields than expected.''
  We are nowhere near meeting that goal, and this competition would be 
a no-cost way to further interest in the field. Additionally, fewer 
than one-third of the eighth graders in the United States show 
proficiency in science and mathematics. Actually, only nine States 
allow computer science courses to count toward high school graduation 
requirements. I know we can do better than that.
  We can help America's schools to do more to prepare our children in 
the STEM fields. We can help to stimulate the workforce by helping 
America's young people to not only be prepared but to ably fill the 
STEM jobs in our economy as they are created. It is vital to our 
economy and to our future that America remain competitive in this 
growing field. We can encourage and embrace STEM innovation through 
this bipartisan academic competition.
  In an ever-competitive global economy, I know that America's young 
people can be the world's greatest source of innovation and creativity. 
We can improve our Nation's economy and help provide countless of our 
children great opportunities in the future by encouraging their 
imaginations and by honoring their hard work. If there are STEM jobs 
available, we must make every effort to ensure that American young 
people fill these positions.
  This competition will help students see the value of STEM fields and 
engage them with the topics throughout their lives. We also need to 
help students who are interested in science and engineering maintain 
that interest so that they can become scientists and engineers. 
Encouraging greater innovation and participation in STEM fields will 
help our students and, again, help our Nation to succeed in the future. 
We know all too well how difficult our economy has been in recent 
years, but even in this tough economy a lot of these tech industries 
have flourished. It's important to empower our young people with the 
necessary tools to succeed when it comes time for them to enter the 
labor force.
  The action that we take today could help empower the next generation 
because this competition will offer the opportunity for students to 
expand their horizons and to potentially find interest or maintain 
their interest in one of our economy's fastest growing occupations. We 
can improve our students' academic achievements in education in hopes 
of preparing them for these opportunities in their futures.
  As former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett has said:

       As a Nation, we simply must get this message to schools, 
     businesses, corporations, State departments of education, 
     Governors, and beyond. STEM education is an urgent need for 
     our Nation. We cannot continue to graduate students ill-
     prepared for our Nation's economic necessities--or their own.

  Mr. Speaker, we believe that this proposed academic competition will 
inspire and encourage young innovators and better equip our youth to 
compete in today's global economy.
  Far too often, I would note, this House seems to be unable to come to 
agreement on ways to solve America's challenges, and I know on this 
issue we all agree. It's a bipartisan effort. We all love our children. 
We all want them to succeed. We want them to reach their full 
potential, and we certainly want to honor their hard work as they reach 
toward a brighter future. So I would urge all of my colleagues, Mr. 
Speaker, to join me in supporting this small step toward that brighter 
future.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I would like to thank Chairman Miller and her staff for working in a 
bipartisan fashion on this legislation.
  As the chairman mentioned, we created this competition so Members can 
help promote STEM education in a way that has a direct impact on their 
constituents. It is this very type of learning that will be essential 
to continue revitalizing our Nation's economy. The time and energy we 
invest now in advancing STEM education will only strengthen our 
Nation's economic posture in the future. This competition is one small 
way to do that.
  I look forward to continuing to work with the chairman as we develop 
regulations for this program and implement this competition.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 1 minute to 
the distinguished majority leader, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Cantor), who has been a principal force and advocate for this 
particular piece of legislation in the STEM.
  Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentlelady from Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the House's efforts to 
promote entrepreneurship and innovation through a new nationwide 
Congressional Academic Competition focused on science, technology, 
engineering, and math. From Robert Noyce to Sergey Brin, America has 
long been at the forefront of the digital revolution. Yet the United 
States faces an increasing challenge in terms of competitiveness and 
the opportunities available to future generations.
  This competition will provide a unique opportunity for America's high 
school and college students in each congressional district to showcase 
their capabilities and creativity and build a framework for American 
success. Each year, this competition will bring communities together 
with their Members of Congress to recognize the importance of 
innovation and motivate students to pursue their ideas, take risks and 
put forward innovative solutions.
  By challenging students to explore the importance of computer science 
in their everyday lives, we hope that this competition will help 
empower them to use their creativity to code for a more prosperous and 
innovative community. This competition will initially focus on 
developing applications for mobile, tablet, and computer platforms, 
reviewed by community leaders and entrepreneurs in these fields. 
However, given that technology rapidly changes over time, the 
competition has been designed with the ability to evolve for the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Brady,

[[Page 1677]]

and their staffs for their hard work in making this program possible. 
It will be exciting to see the kinds of advancements and breakthroughs 
students will come up with across the country.
  I look forward to the success of the Congressional Academic 
Competition for years to come, and I encourage my colleagues to support 
this effort to inspire the next generation of American innovators.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 
minutes to the gentlelady from California, Anna Eshoo.
  Ms. ESHOO. I thank the ranking member for recognizing me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Academic Competition 
Resolution of 2013, which is really the first step toward establishing 
a mobile apps contest for students across America, which I find very, 
very exciting.

                              {time}  1240

  Building on the success of the Congressional Arts Competition, which 
for more than 30 years has recognized and encouraged artistic talent 
among our Nation's youth, an apps competition will foster interest in 
STEM education--science, technology, engineering, and math--which is 
just what our country needs to prepare for our future.
  According to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and 
Technology, in the next decade there will be approximately 8.5 million 
STEM job opportunities; but during the same time, it is projected we'll 
face a shortage of 1 million STEM graduates. We need to address this 
mismatch by encouraging our children's innate curiosity and creativity. 
And what better way to do so than through a mobile apps competition? 
From mobile medical apps that can revolutionize the way we seek and 
receive health care to apps that enable video conferencing and the 
streaming of online video, our lives have been changed forever by the 
mobility and the economic impact that these apps have provided.
  Studies show the app economy has already created approximately 
150,000 jobs in my State of California alone, and over half a million 
jobs nationwide, so there is a huge economic benefit already, but we 
need to leverage this.
  So I thank Chairwoman Miller; I thank the ranking member of the 
committee, and I want to acknowledge my wonderful colleague, Chairman 
Goodlatte, who heads up the House Congressional Internet Caucus, and 
I'm proud to be a cochair with him. We look forward to working with the 
committee to ensure that the success of this competition and the 
continued growth of the app marketplace takes place.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Hanna), who is also the distinguished 
cochair of the STEM Education Caucus.
  Mr. HANNA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
and commend Chairwoman Miller and Ranking Member Brady for offering 
this thoughtful legislation.
  As cochair of the STEM Education Caucus, I'm grateful the House has 
brought forth this issue which is critical to American economic 
competitiveness. In order to rebuild our middle class, increase our 
standard of living, and ensure that the 21st century is another 
prosperous American century, one of the most important things that 
Congress can do is prioritize science, technology, engineering, and 
math.
  I'm a member of the Joint Economic Committee, which reported last 
year that STEM fields spur economic growth through innovation and 
value-added tradable goods. We also know that STEM unemployment rates 
are half of the normal unemployment rate. STEM salaries are double what 
other salaries are for non-STEM work. Putting people solidly in the 
middle class creates taxpayers, which grows our economy and helps 
control our debt, ensuring that the increasingly elusive American Dream 
is still attainable.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution to establish academic STEM competitions 
in each of our districts is a great way to highlight the importance of 
educating our youth in fields which are so necessary to the future 
competitiveness of our Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I 
look forward to this House continuing to find bipartisan ways to 
prioritize science, technology, engineering, and math education.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).
  Mr. ANDREWS. I congratulate the chairwoman and my friend, Mr. Brady, 
for bringing to the floor very good legislation that recognizes the 
value of the best and brightest young Americans competing in the fields 
of math, science, and innovation.
  But America is not going to compete very well if we don't solve the 
budget sequester that surrounds us here today. We're in a global 
economic competition where we will fall behind if we do not act by this 
Friday. Beginning this Friday, according to economists, a conservative 
estimate of the number of jobs lost in our country will be 750,000. 
There are those who believe that the job loss may exceed 2 million 
jobs.
  Now, ladies and gentlemen of the House, there is a proposal in the 
well before the House that would postpone this job loss. Mr. Van Hollen 
has offered a proposal that would postpone the sequester and save these 
jobs and still reduce our deficit by cutting subsidies to huge oil 
companies who do not need those subsidies, by cutting subsidies to huge 
agribusinesses who do not need those subsidies, by saying that people 
who make more than $2 million a year should pay a rate of taxation that 
does not let them exploit loopholes and other deductions.
  To date, with the sequester looming, the majority in this House has 
done nothing to address this problem--not one bill, not one hour, not 
one debate, not one vote. So we have an alternative, and with this 
looming problem facing the people of the country, I believe that should 
be the order of business of the House today.
  Mr. Van Hollen's bill would end the sequester and reduce the deficit; 
so I therefore ask unanimous consent that the House bring up H.R. 699 
at this time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by 
successive Speakers, as recorded on page 752 of the House Rules Manual, 
the Chair is constrained not to entertain the gentleman's request 
unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee 
leaderships.
  Mr. ANDREWS. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. ANDREWS. Is the result of the Chair's ruling that the House will 
not be able to vote on a bill to end the sequester at this time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair cannot entertain the gentleman's 
unanimous-consent request at this time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of 
the Committee on the Judiciary, as well as the Internet Caucus, and a 
cosponsor of this resolution.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank Chairwoman Miller for bringing this 
legislation forward and for the hard work of both herself and 
Congressman Brady on this issue, and I rise in support of the Academic 
Competition Resolution of 2013.
  This resolution establishes an academic competition in the fields of 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM, which shall be 
held each year among students in each congressional district, and 
allows the Committee on House Administration to prescribe the 
regulations that will govern this competition.
  This resolution will allow the Congressional Internet Caucus the 
ability to create the first Congressional App Challenge. Modeled after 
the Congressional Art Competition, the Congressional App Challenge 
promotes STEM learning and innovation by recognizing and incentivizing 
America's young programming talent.
  In the 17 years since the formation of the Congressional Internet 
Caucus,

[[Page 1678]]

technology policy issues ranging from cybersecurity and intellectual 
property have gained more prominence with each passing Congress. This 
challenge allows Members to experience the technology, innovation, and 
entrepreneurship that take place on a daily basis in their own 
districts. This firsthand knowledge will be able to serve as a resource 
to Members as they consider legislation dealing with technology issues.
  This competition will motivate our young people to further pursue 
programming and other technology-related educational opportunities. It 
will also enable them to showcase their programming skills on a 
national stage while at the same time promoting the value of STEM 
education and careers.
  I want to thank the chair of the Committee on House Administration, 
Congresswoman Miller, and Ranking Member Brady for bringing this 
resolution to the floor, and I look forward to working with them to 
craft regulations that will make the congressional app contest a huge 
success to both Members and our constituents. I also look forward to 
working with my Congressional Internet Caucus cochair, the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Eshoo), in bringing this competition to fruition.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding 
me this time, and I rise in support of House Resolution 77. And I 
commend the chair of the committee and the ranking member for bringing 
this to the floor, and I hope that all of our colleagues will 
participate in this competition for students in STEM subjects to create 
these apps and to further, hopefully, their careers in STEM.
  But I must tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am also deeply worried that our 
hopes to increase the number of students who will participate in STEM 
education and become part of the STEM careers that are available to 
them that this Nation so desperately needs could all be for naught, 
this resolution and all of our efforts, if on Friday we are not able to 
set aside the sequester and make a balanced proposal to reduce the 
deficit and to provide for the ongoing needs of this Nation.

                              {time}  1250

  Right now, if we do nothing between now and Friday, there will be a 
$740 million cut to title I, impacting over 1 million students, low-
income students, and 9,000 teachers and staff jobs. Those are the 
people that we want to encourage to go into STEM. Those are the very 
same students that have a 1 in 7 chance of having a qualified teacher 
teach them mathematics or science in their schools. So the very 
population that you're trying to encourage will have less of a chance 
because of sequestration.
  Over $600 million cuts for students with disabilities, eliminating 
some 7,800 teacher and staff jobs with respect to those students.
  For those students who are trying to acquire the English language so 
they can participate in STEM careers and STEM academics, nearly 210,000 
children and 450 teachers would be eliminated by the sequestration. And 
the same goes with community learning centers, where it's an 
opportunity to expose these students, after school and in additional 
time, to these careers, to these opportunities, to the applications and 
to the Web sites that are available to them that they can't use during 
class time.
  But, finally, there is even a more direct harm that will be done by 
sequestration, and that is that the National Science Foundation would 
issue nearly 1,000 fewer research grants and awards, impacting an 
estimated 12,000 scientists and students and curtailing critical 
scientific research. That's the scientific research that builds this 
Nation.
  And for that reason, I ask unanimous consent that the House now take 
up H.R. 699, a balanced approach introduced by Mr. Van Hollen, to 
replace the sequestration and save jobs and avoid these cuts in 
education that are so desperately needed.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by 
successive Speakers, as recorded on page 752 of the House Rules Manual, 
the Chair is constrained not to entertain the gentleman's request 
unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee 
leaderships.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary 
inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, does that mean that we 
will not be taking up sequestration between now and Friday so that we 
can get rid of the sequestration with a balanced plan?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has not stated a proper 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at 
this time, but I would reserve the balance of my time if my ranking 
member would like to close, to make his final statement.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Yes, I'd just like to also deviate, for a moment or two, on our issue 
here. Tomorrow we will be honoring Rosa Parks with a statue. And as our 
Chairman Miller can start to understand, being the chairman of the 
committee, we won't get an opportunity to say anything, but it is our 
committee that had this happen.
  I would like to thank Mr. Lungren, the former chairman and ranking 
member of our committee. Because of that we will be honoring Rosa Parks 
in Statuary Hall tomorrow, which we would not, again, have a chance to 
say that.
  I would like to thank, also, Jesse Jackson. Without his efforts every 
single day, every week, pushing to have that statue done, we would not 
be in that Hall tomorrow honoring her. So I need to give credit where 
credit belongs, and I appreciate the moment to be able to say that.
  Again, I wish to thank the chair for her cooperation on this bill. I 
look forward to working with her as we implement the program's 
regulations.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I, first of all, would like to associate myself with the remarks 
about Rosa Parks that my ranking member just made. You think about one 
person with that act of courage literally changing a Nation, and it's a 
remarkable thing. And we were very proud in Michigan that she came to 
be a resident of Michigan in her final years, where she served, as you 
can imagine, so extraordinarily well and so inspiring to so many 
people. It's certainly entirely appropriate that a statue to her takes 
a place in Statuary Hall amongst Presidents and other national leaders. 
And so we're all looking forward to it tomorrow, to that unveiling of 
her statue.
  But getting back to the House resolution that we have today, Mr. 
Speaker, I would just say, in closing, that certainly if America wants 
to remain competitive, we have to encourage and embrace innovation in 
the STEM fields. And as all of the various speakers have mentioned 
today, this program, I'm very excited about it. I have to tell you, in 
full transparency, 5 years ago I didn't even know what an app was. Now 
it's part of the nomenclature. You've got an app store and there's apps 
for all kinds of things. And these kids, when you get a chance to go 
into these high schools and talk to them, have ideas for apps doing all 
kinds of things.
  And so I think that we're going to try to design this program to be 
technology neutral, whether it's a smartphone or a Web site or a laptop 
or any kind of software, and then sort of leave it open, because the 
technology is just changing so rapid fire as well.
  We've thought about, for instance, in my district I've talked to my 
staff about how we would have a panel of judges that are very savvy on 
all of these things. You could use computer

[[Page 1679]]

science teachers to be part of the judging panel, people from industry, 
academics, what have you.
  And then, I think, hopefully as some of the students come forward, 
whether they win or not, that we would have some sort of a mentoring 
program, as well, where folks from the industry, from the academics and 
the sciences in the STEM programs in the fields could talk to these 
students about opportunities, job possibilities, et cetera.
  So I do think that this resolution that we're passing today, again, 
in a bipartisan way, is very important and does have the ability to 
really impact in a very positive way.
  With that, I have no further requests for time, so I would urge my 
colleagues to support the legislation. I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
77, the Academic Competition Resolution of 2013.
  As a businessman, manufacturer and physicist, I know how important it 
is that we support STEM education. Throughout the twentieth century, 
American-led advancements in the STEM fields have driven forward our 
collective human understanding of the universe and strengthened the 
American economy.
  The future of the American economy will depend on our ability to 
prepare graduates for work in STEM-related fields. Last year, the 
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology estimated 
that for the U.S. to maintain its position at the forefront of STEM 
fields, we will need to increase the number of American STEM graduates 
by one million students over the next decade.
  The economic crisis has further highlighted the importance of STEM 
education, as the STEM fields weathered the downturn better than most. 
As the Joint Economic Committee on STEM education points out, the 
unemployment rate among STEM workers never surpassed 5.5% during the 
crisis, while unemployment in non-STEM fields grew to almost 10% in 
2010. STEM workers also enjoy higher average wages than their non-STEM 
counterparts.
  A congressionally-sponsored academic competition in the STEM fields 
will generate enthusiasm in this burgeoning field and provide an 
opportunity for students to work on meaningful, hands-on projects. 
Congress must do more to support educational initiatives that will 
prepare our students for participation in a dynamic, global economy, 
and sponsoring a STEM competition is a small step in the right 
direction.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
support of H. Res. 77, the Academic Competition Resolution of 2013. For 
years, the annual art competition sponsored by the U.S. House of 
Representatives recognizes imaginative high school students from every 
congressional district in the United States. Like the congressional art 
competition, H. Res. 77 establishes an academic competition in the 
fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to be held 
each year among students in each congressional district across the 
country.
  It is just and appropriate for the United States House of 
Representatives to incentivize STEM education by highlighting 
outstanding youth across our country who are excelling in these 
disciplines. The highest growth sectors, such as information 
technology, require a workforce proficient in STEM. Producing students 
with the STEM skills needed to fill the jobs of the future is necessary 
to maintaining our nation's innovation capacity and creating new high-
skill, high-paying jobs at home. As Ranking Member of the House 
Committee on Science, Space and Technology, I know that to strengthen 
our nation's technological workforce and infrastructure we must 
encourage and incentivize STEM education.
  Mr. Speaker, as we rise in support of H. Res. 77 to encourage STEM 
education and American innovation, with the fiscal cliff looming I 
would be remiss if I did not warn against cutting our critical federal 
R&D investments. As we struggle with our own deficits, we too can make 
the strategic choice to continue to invest in our future--both in our 
human capital and physical infrastructure--or we can make the strategic 
choice to permanently cede our leadership, to fail our current 
generation of young people, and to put our economy in a state of 
stagnation for years to come. It is when our economy is hurting the 
most that we should be redoubling our efforts to innovate our way into 
a brighter future of new jobs, new technologies, and untold societal 
benefits.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of the Academic 
Competition Resolution (H. Res 77), I rise to express my strong support 
for the Congressional Academic Competition for STEM Education. I 
believe this new and innovative program promotes entrepreneurship while 
engaging students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
  With the increasing demand for students to focus on STEM fields, it 
is important for students to get involved, compete, and further their 
scientific knowledge. This Congressional competition will prepare 
future generations to better understand the world and technological 
progress. Since technology evolves rapidly, this competition reflects 
the fast pace of developments in these cutting edge fields.
  The Congressional Academic Competition for STEM will first focus on 
developing mobile applications for phones, tablets and other computer 
devices. As time progresses, it has been constructed to evolve to meet 
future STEM needs whether it be technological applications or future 
inventions.
  I am excited to see what students across America will invent and I 
look forward to the creative breakthroughs and scientific advancements 
this competition will fuel. I encourage my colleagues to support this 
initiative, which seeks to inspire our future generations to lead 
through innovation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 77.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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