Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I applaud Chairman Smith for including in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report language to include the Coast Guard in the Department of Defense STARBASE Program. The NDAA is the culmination of many long hours of hard work, compromise, and showcases the best of the legislative process. The modified authorization of the STARBASE Program included in this year's NDAA will help improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for the youth of America. Coast Guard support of the STARBASE Program, which the NDAA now authorizes, will allow an already successful STEM education program to be offered in more communities across our country. Teaching STEM concepts to elementary and secondary students is more important than ever to prepare students for our increasingly complex world that requires innovation and critical thinking. Introduction of STEM at an early age allows the best opportunity for our workforce of the future to gain skills and expertise needed, to include the pre-requisites to serve in our Coast Guard, Armed Forces, and broader federal government. Additionally, to build on the NDAA provision that includes the Coast Guard in the STARBASE Program, I introduced the Coast Guard Youth STEM Programs Expansion Act (H.R. 3205). H.R. 3205 ties in the Department of Education into the STARBASE Program, improves STEM curriculum, and includes curriculum topics applicable to maritime environments.…”