Congresswoman Bonamici Opening Statement for Hearing on Building a National Science and Technology Strategy
(Washington, DC)--Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing titled, The United States, China, and the Fight for Global Leadership: Building a U.S. National Science and Technology Strategy.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici's (D-OR) opening statement as prepared for the record is below.
Thank you, Chairman Lucas, for holding today’s hearing, and thank you to our distinguished panel of witnesses. Ranking Member Lofgren regrets that she is unable to be here today. She was very much looking forward to this hearing and, in particular, to discussing the critical importance of investing in fusion technology. I ask unanimous consent to add her statement to the record.
For more than 70 years, the United States has been the unquestioned global leader in science, technology, and innovation, reaping the benefits to our economic and national security and overall quality of life. This leadership was built on the vision and political will of our leaders in the aftermath of World War II. They enacted the National Defense Education Act, created the National Science Foundation and NASA, and made other unprecedented investments in our nation’s talent and technology. Over time, however, we became complacent, and our commitment to nondefense R&D waned. At the same time, much of our manufacturing capacity went offshore, making our supply chains vulnerable and risking our economic and national security.
Our insufficient commitment to research and domestic manufacturing left an opening for other countries, and they seized it. China and Europe increased their investments in critical technologies and emulated our innovation systems in building theirs. Last year, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology took a significant step to reinvigorate the U.S. science and technology enterprise with the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. This law is already starting to bring good-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States, and it’s accelerating the development of future industries across our country. In fact, today the Commerce Department is announcing the first application for CHIPS funding, specifically for manufacturing facilities, so we can start to invest in domestic companies and their workers and incentivize innovation and production in America. Because of the CHIPS Act, Intel, which has its research facilities in Oregon, has committed to investing $20 billion in two new leading edge semiconductor fabrication facilities.
A key provision of the CHIPS and Science Act requires the White House to conduct a quadrennial science and technology review and develop a national science and technology strategy. This provides us with a tremendous opportunity to have a coherent, all-of-government approach to our investments in science and technology that will grow U.S. leadership, bolster our competitiveness, and safeguard national security.
As several of the witnesses noted, to achieve these goals we must think broadly about who is at the table to inform the strategy. We must solicit and welcome the input of the private sector, communities that have historically been left out of setting research agendas, and everyone in between. Inclusion in setting the agenda is essential to the responsible development of technology that benefits all Americans and leaves no issue, and no American, behind.
And as the witness testimony makes clear, innovation is key. We need creative, critical thinkers around the table; people who can come up with new ways to view challenges and inventive ways to solve problems. As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee and Co-Chair of the STEAM Caucus, I advocate for the integration of arts and design into the traditional STEM fields, which inspires creativity and increases the competitiveness and diversity of the workforce.
The national strategy is also an opportunity for us to reimagine how we can integrate the goal of a circular economy —a new model of manufacturing and consumption that focuses on long-term, sustainable growth— across our research agenda and lead in the responsible development of technology. Through our S&T strategy, we can leverage scientific investments to tackle our greatest challenges. With the climate crisis threatening the nation and the globe, we can invest in sustainable solutions to mitigate and adapt. The circular economy does not just apply to the energy sector and transportation. It applies to chemicals, materials, food production, manufacturing, and more.
I urge OSTP to keep all of the issues discussed in this hearing in mind as they begin to develop a national science and technology strategy.
I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses today and to discussing how this important strategy can best serve our nation.
Thank you, and I yield back my time.
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