Democrats to Press Competitiveness Legislation
By Anonymous
Democrats have signaled that they will push for new legislation to bolster U.S. economic competitiveness and innovation, with improvements to education at the heart of their approach. During the Democratic leaders’ January 19 State of the Union address, Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed in particular the importance of science education, stating that “innovation and economic growth begins in America’s classrooms. To create a new generation of innovators, we must fund No Child Left Behind so that we can encourage science and math education, taught by the most qualified and effective teachers.”
Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), chair of the renamed House Committee on Science and Technology, listed innovation at the top of his list of priorities and renamed one of the subcommittees Technology and Innovation as a reflection of its importance. Gordon introduced the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R. 362) and Sowing the Seeds through Science and Engineering Research Act (H.R. 363), versions of which passed the Science Committee last year but did not make it to the House floor.
The Sowing the Seeds bill would authorize a 10% funding increase for basic research in the physical sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense. It would also authorize a NSF and DOE grant program for early-career researchers and establish a national coordination office under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to prioritize university and national research infrastructure needs.
The 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds bill reflects Gordon’s belief that building on existing programs is more effective than creating new programs. The bill would expand NSF’s Robert Noyce Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors who commit to teaching science or math at elementary and secondary schools. It also authorizes summer teacher training institutes at NSF and DOE; prioritizes teacher training within NSF’s Math and Science Partnership program; and amends NSF’s STEM Talent Expansion program to improve undergraduate STEM education.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) has also introduced a package of four bills (H.R. 35, 36, 37, and 38) to address science and math education. The bills would amend No Child Left Behind to require that states’ accountability metrics, which currently focus on reading and math, also include the results of the science assessments. The bills would also create tax credits for science and math teachers as well as for businesses that donate new equipment or teacher training to schools and enhance science and math readiness for children in the Head Start program.
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