Lamar Smith: “I oppose the motion to recommit. H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act, is a bipartisan bill…”

“I oppose the motion to recommit. H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act, is a bipartisan bill that ensures the grant process at the National Science Foundation is transparent and accountable to the American people. America's future economic growth and national security depend on innovation. Public and private investments in research and development fuel the economy, create jobs, and lead to new technologies that benefit Americans' daily lives. NSF invests about $6 billion of taxpayers' funds every year on research projects and related activities. Unfortunately, in recent years, the Federal Government has awarded too many grants that few Americans would consider to be in the national interest. Only one out of five grant proposals are approved. We cannot fund every worthy proposal, much less frivolous ones like $516,000 to create a video game called ``Relive Prom Night.'' The legislation before us reaffirms in law that every NSF grant must support research that is in the national interest. The 1950 enabling legislation that created the NSF set forth the Foundation's mission and cited the national interest as the foundation for public support and dissemination of basic scientific research. The Science in the National Interest Act reaffirms and restores this crucial mission and requires the NSF grants meet at least one of seven criteria that demonstrate it is in the national interest.…”