Political Quotes

“I congratulate Senator Bingaman and Senator Alexander for the passage of America COMPETES, legislation which they crafted carefully to enhance American innovation and competitiveness. I also thank them for accepting three amendments which I offered, which will help expand the range of innovative possibilities by which America faces its competitive challenges. Let me explain this. The president of the National Academy of Engineering once said that innovation is a profoundly creative process, and that like other creative processes, it depends on the life experiences of the people involved. If we include a more diverse sample of our population, we will derive more varied and more innovative design options. We become more competitive by embracing our diversity, by involving a more representative cross-section of our populace in science, technology, and engineering endeavors. To increase participation, I have offered three amendments that have been accepted into America COMPETES. The first establishes a mentoring program to support women and underrepresented groups as they progress through science and technology education programs, increasing the likelihood of their success.”