On the recordMay 28, 2010
As a cosponsor of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, I rise today in strong support of this legislation. In recent years we have watched as our country has fallen behind in educating our children for the 21st century and developing technology that our neighbors envy. Today's legislation will help to turn these trends around by making the strong investments necessary in research, education and manufacturing. This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes our basic research programs and lays the groundwork for doubling funding levels for the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Funding through these programs has been critical to many of the faculty, staff, scientists and investigators in my district who rely on funding from these agencies to support their research. Research that has led to spin-offs such as A123, now a leader in advanced battery technology. America COMPETES also reauthorizes the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, which has made great efforts at developing the energy technology of the future. This research cannot be done without providing our students with the strong educational foundation necessary for a college education.
