Lofgren Applauds COMPETES Reauthorization Act
May 13, 2010
Today, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) released the following statement on the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, H.R. 5116.
May 13, 2010
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) released the following statement on the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, H.R. 5116.
Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5116, to reauthorize the America COMPETES Act. This bill continues the commitment we made to science and innovation from the first COMPETES Act, passed in 2007.
As a Member representing Silicon Valley, I have seen firsthand what innovation and research can do to keep us competitive and economically strong. H.R. 5116 will foster research by reauthorizing the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and keep them on a path that will double their authorized funding over 10 years, based on 2007 appropriated levels. This funding will support basic research in labs across the country. The Act also includes loan guarantee programs for small- and medium-sized manufacturers to bring their new and innovative products beyond the prototype stage and into production.
Madam Speaker, the bill fosters STEM education and will help ensure that today’s children are prepared to be tomorrow’s competitive workforce. H.R. 5116 provides greater coordination of STEM education programs across federal agencies and aligns the programs at all levels of education – from K-12 through doctoral degrees. Once students are interested in STEM fields, we need to foster their growth and ensure that they have the right tools and support to stay within the STEM pipeline.
The COMPETES Reauthorization Act also encourages innovative thinking and solutions by reauthorizing the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to perform high-risk, high-reward energy research that could lead to the game-changing technology we need to wean ourselves off of polluting fossil fuels.
I would like to note one concern I have with this legislation. Section 123 establishes a working group to coordinate the policies of various agencies regarding public access to the results of federally-funded research. I agree that coordination could improve technical uniformity in the dissemination of data, boosting interoperability across agencies and disciplines. However, the working group should not extend its mandate to demand uniformity in all public access policies, such as those for scientific publications. In particular, it should not interfere with the policy of the National Institutes of Health, which requires free public access to the published results of research funded by NIH. This legislation should not be interpreted to restrict existing open access to scientific knowledge, or to prevent its expansion.
This issue aside, I am pleased of the commitment we are making to science and innovation today, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.Congresswoman
Zoe Lofgren is serving her eighth term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. She is the Chair of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. She also serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.
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