Who:         Senators Pete V. Domenici, R-NM, Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, Lamar Alexander, R-TN, Barbara Mikulski, D-MD

What:          Sit-down visit with reporters in the Senate Press Gallery to discuss concerns over U.S. competitiveness in science and technology arenas raised by the Augustine Commission’s “Gathering Storm”

When:         Approximately 3 p.m., following the visit with President Bush on the same topic

Why:            The four senators plan to introduce legislation early next year that empowers America to maintain competitive edge in science and technology fields

 Background:

In May 2005, Senators Bingaman and Alexander, with the encouragement of Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, asked the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine the question, “What are the ten top actions, in priority order, that federal policy makers could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so the United States can successfully compete, prosper and be secure in the global community of the 21st century?”

The National Academies responded by assembling a distinguished panel of business, government, and university leaders headed by Norm Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin. As part of its deliberations, the panel reviewed over 150 proposals and made 20 recommendations in four broad categories: K-12 education, research, higher education, and incentives for innovation.

In releasing their report on Oct. 12, the Academies noted that Chemical companies closed 70 facilities in the United States in 2004 and have tagged 40 more for shutdown. Of 120 chemical plants being built around the world with price tags of $1 billion or more, one is in the United States and 50 are in China.

U.S. 12th graders recently performed below the international average for 21 countries on a test of general knowledge in mathematics and science.

In 2001, U.S. industry spent more on tort litigation than on R&D.