On the recordMay 13, 2010
I rise to support the America COMPETES Act. I think that the Energy Innovation Hubs, the focus on STEM education and innovation represent in important ways the very future of our economy. As we go forward, we will look back on this day as a very important day in terms of laying the foundation for protecting and enhancing the American standard of living. I'm reminded, hearing the gentlelady from Maryland speak, of a group of young people in my district who have won the Tour de Sol three times, who are now in the final grouping competing worldwide for the X prize, developing a car that can go 100 miles an hour. Now, these young people are the only high school team out of 100 teams that started this enterprise fighting, competing against colleges, universities, professional entities that own worldwide car companies, but they have been ranked by Popular Mechanics as one of the top 10 finalists that will probably win the X prize. But we've seen in robotics and engineering and science that our young people have the ability to compete. We need to foster their sense of innovation and not have them be risk averse. This bill and its work in this area of STEM education is so vitally important.
