José E. Serrano: “I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, as my colleague has said, in 2007 he added a provision to…”

“I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, as my colleague has said, in 2007 he added a provision to the original America COMPETES Act to give the NSF the discretion to establish a dedicated grant program. However, after years of persistence, the NSF has refused to act. That is why last month Mr. Crowley, Mr. Lujan, and myself introduced the HOPES Act. Today's amendment replicates the HOPES Act and requires the NSF to establish an undergraduate grant program for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Hispanics are underrepresented in the STEM fields, and more needs to be done to ensure that we are not missing the best and the brightest from all the parts of America in developing the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. This amendment is a big step in the right direction. I thank Representative Crowley for his leadership on this issue. I thank the chairman for accepting the amendment.”