Ken Calvert: “this Nation's investment in the sciences is not only the right thing to do; it is critical to our very survival as a…”

“this Nation's investment in the sciences is not only the right thing to do; it is critical to our very survival as a global leader. Throughout the 20th century, one of the strengths of the United States was our knowledge-based resources, particularly science and technology. But now we are at a crossroad and we have the ability to continue to strengthen the scientific and technological foundations of our economic leadership, which appear to be eroding at a time when many other nations are building their innovative capacity. Recently, Chemical and Engineering News reported that 75 percent of all new R&D sites are planned to be established in China and India over the next 3 years. Currently, China awards 59 percent of its undergraduate degrees in the areas of science and engineering, compared with 32 percent in the United States. As chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, I believe the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should be funded at a higher level than the President's request, but I know the realities of funding allocations. Aviation is currently the country's largest manufacturing export. The average sales in the aerospace industry is about $200 billion a year. It is one of the main contributors to our global competitiveness. We are main contributors to our global competitiveness. We are facing an increasing economic challenge from abroad and cannot take a chance of faltering.…”