Barack Obama: “last year, I was proud to cosponsor America COMPETES, legislation which addressed many issues essential to maintaining…”

“last year, I was proud to cosponsor America COMPETES, legislation which addressed many issues essential to maintaining America's competitive leadership in an increasing competitive and technological global marketplace. I was heartened by the bipartisan support for that effort. Today, I rise to urge my colleagues to join me and my friend from Indiana, Mr. Lugar, in extending that effort, by supporting legislation to enhance education efforts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics--the fields known as STEM. Strengthening STEM education is important not only to foster the innovation needed to ensure our nation's future prosperity, but also so that every citizen can benefit from our democracy's ever-increasing pace of technological and scientific advance. Federal agencies currently administer more than a hundred different STEM education programs, with over $3,000,000,000 spent annually. Yet there is little coherence among these efforts. There is a clear need for increased coordination of STEM education among states, and between the efforts of federal agencies and of state and local educators. The intent of our legislation, the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology Act of 2008, is to bring coherence and coordination to these efforts, for the benefit of students, science, and society.”