Business leaders spoke in support of Congressman Bart Gordon’s America COMPETES Act during a Jan. 20 hearing before the House Committee on Science and Technology, which Gordon chairs. Gordon authored the landmark legislation in 2007 to advance math and science education and research in Tennessee and across the nation, and the bill is due for reauthorization this year.
Leaders of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers and Council on Competitiveness underscored the importance of strong research and science education investments to the country’s overall economic security, noting the importance of innovative research in creating competitive new products and developing growing technology industries. The witnesses also pointed out that competitor nations like China have devoted substantial resources to research and science programs, even in the midst of economic downturn.
“We need a well-educated workforce to ensure American workers have the skills they need for the jobs of the future,” stated Gordon. “The business community has expressed how critical this commitment to innovation is to our prosperity and our economic growth. COMPETES has already had a major impact on American innovation and will continue to help develop the skilled workforce this country needs.”
The America COMPETES Act strengthens national economic competitiveness through investments in science, technology, engineering and math education at all levels. It also addresses the need for innovation in the energy sector through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to pursue high-risk, high-reward energy technology development. Tennessee universities and research facilities have already seen benefits from this and other science initiatives Gordon has championed.
“When I was growing up in Murfreesboro, I knew I would have to compete with students from Nashville and Knoxville for jobs. Today, students in Murfreesboro have to compete with students from India and China for high-paying, high-tech jobs,” Gordon said. “We need to arm our students with the science and math education they need to contend with a global marketplace—our economy depends on it.”
Gordon has made a strong reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act a top priority for the House Science and Technology Committee’s 2010 agenda. COMPETES originally passed the House by a vote of 367 to 57 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 9, 2007. The Omnibus and the Recovery package brought funding for the programs in COMPETES to or above the FY09 authorized levels.
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