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Scientific Research in the National Interest Act

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 10, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending

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Mr. BABIN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act.

The National Science Foundation spends $7 billion in taxpayer funds, most of which goes to important research that helps advance America's competitive edge. However, the NSF has funded far too many wasteful projects that are not in the national interest.

Here are several examples: $1.5 million to study pasture management in Mongolia; $147,000 to study international marriages between the citizens of France and Madagascar; $20,000 to study stress among the people of Bolivia.

While the NSF has begun to implement some new internal policies that are intended to increase transparency and accountability, this bill will help strengthen those reforms and make them permanent.

The Director of the NSF even testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee that the policy of H.R. 3293 is ``compatible with the NSF's internal guidelines.''

I highly commend Chairman Lamar Smith for his leadership on this important bill, and I encourage my colleagues to very much support it.

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