Competitiveness Bill Begins Senate Race

A long-awaited bill to bolster U.S. science and engineering was introduced today in the Senate. The 212-page measure, called the American Competitiveness Innovation Act, has attracted bipartisan support from leading senators and the strong backing of the scientific community. But plans to put the bill on the fast track for Senate passage this week have been abandoned, leaving it for a lameduck session of Congress held after the 7 November elections.

The bill borrows liberally from an acclaimed October 2005 report issued by the National Academies, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. That report, in turn, was based on a request from Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), to describe the 10 most important actions that the federal government should take to preserve U.S. leadership in science. At the top of the panel's list were strengthening U.S. science and math education--both attracting more students into science and better teacher preparation and professional development--and doubling federal spending on research in the physical sciences. This was followed by several proposals that would foster innovation across government, industry, and academia. The panel put a price tag of $9 billion a year on the package.