Panel Backs Bill Aimed At Boosting U.S. Innovation

The House Science and Technology Committee approved legislation Wednesday that would reauthorize a law that aims to double authorized funding for research and development at key science agencies, enhance support for science and math education and other programs aimed at boosting U.S. innovation.

After wading through dozens of amendments, the committee approved the bill (H.R. 5116) on a 29-8 vote with all the no votes coming from Republicans. It would reauthorize the 2007 America COMPETES Act for five years and authorize about $82 billion in funding for the bill's programs. The overall funding was reduced by 10 percent after the panel approved a manager's amendment that stretched the timeline to 2017 for doubling authorized funding for R&D activities at the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Energy Department's Office of Science. The 2007 law called for doubling research funding at these agencies by 2014. Republicans offered numerous amendments that attempted to cut authorized funding levels in the bill and aimed to reduce the bill's timeline from a five-year authorization to three years, which was the length of time covered by the 2007 law. "I remain committed to investing in basic research and development, but I am also mindful of our current dire economic situation," House Science and Technology ranking member Ralph Hall (R-TX) said. House Science Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) said he made a concession to such budgetary concerns by reducing authorized funding as part of the manager's amendment, which brought down the bill's funding total by about $9.4 billion from the $93 billion originally proposed.