New Democrat Coalition Leaders Laud New Report of American Academy of Arts & Sciences Calling for National Commitment to R&D Investment
The New Democrat Coalition’s Technology, Education, and Entrepreneurship Task Force Co-Chairs, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), and Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), along with the Coalition’s leaders who are working to strengthen our R&D infrastructure through the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act, Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) released the following statement commending the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for its work on Restoring the Foundation: the Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream. The landmark report urges the United States to refocus its attention on the long-term sustainability of the research enterprise in a high-tech, knowledge-based global economy:
“This report issues a clarion call to America’s leaders to recommit to innovation through support for basic research or risk getting left behind in the race for global innovation,” the New Democrat Members said. “The success of previous Federal investments have been transformative in our daily lives.. From ARPANET’s key role in the advancement of the modern Internet to the Apollo Program’s lasting impact through technology transfers that led to the development of solar panels, heart monitors, and cordless technologies, innovation has always been an engine of our economic success. Even Google, a global powerhouse that today is worth nearly $250 billion and employs 54,000 people, might not have started were it not for a few students whose research received the support of the National Science Foundation.
“We are committed to working with leaders in education, research, industry, labor, and all those who are willing to assume our shared responsibility to support investment in basic science to ensure that American innovation dominates the 21st Century as it did in the 20th.”
The Coalition leaders released an agenda to invest in America’s research and development infrastructure through the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act in the fall of 2013. America COMPETES seeks to drive job growth and economic competitiveness through federal investments in information technology, STEM education, and basic research. The Coalition played a key role in bipartisan passage of COMPETES in 2007 and in the reauthorizations of COMPETES in 2010 and 2012.
The New Democrat Coalition is dedicated to maintaining America’s standing as the world’s strongest, most successful nation. Founded in 1997, the New Dems believe firmly in the power of American ingenuity and innovation, and are focused on finding ways to foster and harness this creativity to grow our economy, create new American jobs, and ensure a safer and more secure future for our country.
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