Jeff Bingaman: “last Friday the Senate in an act of bipartisanship reauthorized the America COMPETES Act, which was first signed into…”

“last Friday the Senate in an act of bipartisanship reauthorized the America COMPETES Act, which was first signed into law August 9, 2007. It did so this time under unanimous consent; the last time it took 3 days of debate. I would like to note that this reauthorization continues the strong tradition of bipartisanship which augurs well for the ability of our Nation to conduct cutting edge research while innovating and competing in our global economy. In a time of concern about our budget deficit, the passing of this act by unanimous consent is an acknowledgment by the Senate as a whole that tax dollars spent on these topics is money well spent. But behind that simple act of unanimous consent laid almost 2 years of hard work at the staff and Member level in the Senate. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of Senator Lamar Alexander. Senator Alexander worked with members of his Republican caucus to ensure their views were incorporated into this bill. He has kept his unwavering belief that the strength of our Nation, its ability to proposer and create good paying jobs, rests on the investment we make in educating our children in science and education, conducting research at universities and laboratories and using a well educated workforce to promote innovation in our global economy.”