WASHINGTON –– U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today said they are pleased the Senate has given its strong support their legislation designed to make America more competitive globally.

 

            Bingaman and Domenici, along with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and others introduced the America COMPETES Act last month.  It passed the Senate today, 88-8.   

 

            “This is a comprehensive approach to ensuring America remains competitive in the global marketplace.  It not only invests in the kind of basic scientific research and development that will yield the next big technological discoveries, it also ensures that we are preparing the next generation of American scientists, mathematicians and engineers.  This landmark piece of legislation will have a huge impact on our nation’s future.  I hope we can get the bill through the House of Representatives quickly so we can get it to the president’s desk,” Bingaman said. 

 

            “I’m pleased that such a large, bipartisan group of Senators have voted in favor of this legislation to make America more competitive.  It has taken us over a year to get this bill through the Senate, but the need to make sure our nation harnesses the brainpower we need to compete in the global marketplace is now even greater than ever.  I look forward to working with the House to put together a final package that will utilize our national labs and other resources to better educate our young people and reclaim our leadership in developing science and technology,” Domenici said.

           

            The America Competes Act would double the authorized funding for the National Science Foundation in five years and sets the Department of Energy’s Office of Science on a path to double over 10 years.  It creates an Innovation Acceleration Research Program to encourage federal agencies to set aside 8 percent of research and development funding for high-risk, high pay-off research. 

 

            It also creates science magnet schools where-by each national laboratory “adopts” a school to strengthen its math and science capability.  And it creates a broad range of programs to train teachers in math and science education through the Department of Education and Department of Energy while encouraging student participation in advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs.

 

            The bill makes a concerted effort to involve DOE’s national laboratories by establishing training and education programs at summer institutes hosted by the labs, and by creating partnerships between labs and high schools to build centers of excellence in math and science education.

 

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