Alexandria, VA – Yesterday, the United States Senate passed important legislation designed to reaffirm the United States as a global leader in the areas of science, research, and technology. The America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act, S. 761, has garnered broad bipartisan support, with a majority of Senators cosponsoring the legislation.
“Since 2005, Senators Reid, McConnell, Alexander, Bingaman, Domenici and others have been leaders on this important legislation, and their bipartisan commitment to children’s education should be widely commended,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus. “The America COMPETES Act will not only strengthen our nation’s competitive edge in the global economy, it will help to provide students with the education they need to achieve the American Dream.”
The legislation takes aggressive measures to strengthen education in the areas of mathematics, science, technology, and engineering for schools ranging from elementary to graduate levels. It also provides dramatic increases in research investment, including developing an infrastructure to encourage innovative research and development.
America COMPETES doubles funding for the National Science Foundation over the next five years puts and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science on track to double over ten years. Further, it would establish the Innovation Acceleration Research Program, to direct federal funding research in science and technology, with a portion of its research and development budget to be devoted toward high-risk, high payoff research.
Additionally, funding will be provided for the recruitment, training, and education of teachers in math, science, and foreign language, expanding the number of qualified teachers at all education levels. Resources would also be provided to help students become proficient in math through a new Math Now program, and resources would be expanded to support the challenging opportunities offered through Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.
Finally, the Act would establish a President’s Council on Innovation and Competitiveness to develop an agenda which would further innovation and competition in the public and private sectors.