May 19, 2010
Science Innovation Legislation Receives Bipartisan Support, but Does Not Garner the Two-Thirds Majority Required
(Washington, DC) – Today, although H.R. 5325, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, received bipartisan support of the majority of Members present, it failed to garner the two-thirds required for bills considered as a suspension.
“I’m disappointed, but not deterred,”said Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). “As I’ve said before, this bill is too important to let fall by the way-side. More than half of our economic growth since World War II can be directly attributed to development and adoption of new technologies. The path is simple: research leads to innovation; innovation leads to economic development and good paying jobs. Creating good jobs is the goal of this bill, and it is what our country needs right now.”
H.R. 5325 is a reintroduction of H.R. 5116, and is identical with two exceptions: it reduces the authorization period from five to three years, and it adopts the language from the Motion to Recommit banning the use of the authorized funds to pay the salary of federal employees disciplined for looking at pornography at work. It includes the 52 amendments to H.R. 5116 adopted on the House Floor.
“I understand the concern of many of my colleagues about the overall size of a five year authorization, and this reduction is my sincere attempt at compromising on an issue that is very important to me. The bill before us today includes an overall funding reduction of almost 50 percent from H.R. 5116, as introduced,” said Gordon during Floor consideration.
Over 750 organizations endorsed reauthorization of COMPETES, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable, the Council on Competitiveness, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the National Venture Capital Association, TechAmerica, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American Chemical Society, and others, including nearly 100 universities and colleges.
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