Date: 2006-06-07
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. we rise in support of this legislation. We think that it is important that we do get a handle on those programs that the Federal Government currently supports in the fields of science. technology. engineering and mathematics. Late last year. the Democratic Caucus introduced an innovation agenda. and that innovation agenda was designed to make sure that America would retain its competitiveness and America would be able to go forward into this century as a leader in math. science and engineering and a leader in innovation. a place that America has held for the last 50 years. We have held that position in the world because of an investment that was made by President Kennedy to go to the Moon and to return safely. and the infrastructure that was built up by that decision. President Kennedy understood it was more than just a moon shot. It was about .building an infrastructure in math. science and engineering for this country for the future. And that decision led to the greatest publicprivate partnership in the history of the world and created an infrastructure today that we continue to live off of and that has driven this economy for that same period of time. The question is whether or not we need to renew that investment. Clearly those people who are participating in this economy at the highest levels. on the cutting edge. those who are creating new startups. who have created some of the great companies of the world in high technology. biotech and engineering. tell us that it is absolutely imperative that America make this effort. They have made it also clear to us that the foundation of this is the American education system. that not only must we fully fund No Child Left Behind. as the American Electronics Association called for. but we have to make a new commitment to graduate studies. we have to make a new commitment to the teachers of math. science and engineering at all levels. and we have got to make a new commitment to research and development. So this resolution is quite timely. because it is important that we understand not only why these programs are on the books. the purposes for which they are created. but do they still work in todays environment. should they be modified. should they be merged. should they be given new purposes. We know that the National Science Foundation outside of the Department of Education has created some of the most effective programs for young 13eople to become excited about the physical sciences and the life sciences and to understand the world around them. and have engaged students in a way that they are unlikely to be engaged with the traditional textbook approach to those sciences. In my own State of California. we now see the University of California initiating a new program where those students of math. science and engineering will be able to concurrently achieve a teaching credential. so not only will they be fully skilled in the core subject matters of engineering and math and science. but they will also. if they decide to go into the teaching field. be fully qualified to teach those subject matters and create that excitement that we talk about so much. so that young people will truly see the value and the excitement of studying and entering careers that deeply involve math. science and engineering. If we fail to do this. if we fail to do more than this resolution. if the national science programs continue to come under budget pressure. then the problem will be that we can lose that leadership in fields of innovation where America has been so terribly strong. We now see strategic investments being made in the educational facilities. in the research facilities. all along the Asian Rim. by India. by China. by Indonesia. by Korea. in the field of telecommunications and the field of technology and the field of biosciences. and it is terribly important for our economy here at home. for the jobs of the future and for our leadership in the world and amatter of our national security. certainly. in the technologSy fields. The only way we are going to be able to do that. according to those people who are betting their companies. betting their shareholders money. betting borrowed money and the venture capitalists staking their future on it. is to engage in a full aidcomprehensive program for competitiveness and innovation. In the Democratic proposal. the challenge that we have laid down to this Congress. that challenge is to create a new generation of innovators. and this legislation speaks to this because it speaks to the education programs that will be -available and the effectiveness of those programs for math. science and engineering. We also speak to that by making sure that there are graduate fellowships. much as we did again in the effort to reach the Moon in the Kennedy administration where 28.000 fellowships were given. Those individuals finished their graduate studies early and became part of that great foundation of American ingenuity and competitiveness. Mr. Speaker. with that. I. too. want to support this resolution and draw attention to the needs that we have in the areas of science. engineering and math for the education establishments in this country. We dramatically need to improve the number of highly qualified teachers with core competencies in these fields. we dramatically need to increase the number of young people who are excited by this. and we dramatically need to increase the number of young people who want to choose this as a career. as a profession. as a place of excitement and innovation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.