National Science Foundation for the Future Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2225, the National Science Foundation for the Future Act.

This legislation is one of two Science Committee bills under consideration today to reinforce America's global scientific leadership and fend off competition from the Chinese Communist Party.

Together, the NSF for the Future Act and the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act represent a comprehensive and sustainable approach to building American competitiveness.

Before I discuss the specifics of the NSF for the Future Act, I want to emphasize why it is so critical we act now to counter the threat from the Communist leadership in China and reinvest in American science and technology.

Make no mistake, this is a threat. For years, China has been working to steal, both literally and figuratively, our playbook for innovation. That is because leading the world in science and technology gives you a significant advantage when it comes to national security, cybersecurity, and economic growth.

It is no wonder, then, that we have seen the Chinese Communist Party pursue a technological advantage over us through forced acquisitions, malign foreign talent programs, and intellectual property theft.

They are also outspending us, plain and simple. China's R&D spending increased more than 50 percent between 2011 and 2016. In that same period, our investment fell by 12 percent, in absolute terms.

There is no question, we must act now to redouble our commitment to American research and development if we are to remain the global leader in science and technology.

This issue is so important that even our colleagues in the Senate have decided to address it. And while some legislative observers have noted that their approach to this has been less organized and focused, I appreciate that they recognize the urgency of the problem we are facing.

While the Senate chose to tack on countless special interest provisions, the House Science Committee approached this in a deliberative manner, spending more than a year working with stakeholders in government, academia, and industry to identify the best way to invest in our research enterprise and support American competitiveness.

The result is two bipartisan bills that significantly increase research funding while adding strong protections to keep it safe from foreign theft.

The NSF for the Future Act doubles funding for basic research over 5 years, investing a total of $78 billion.

It also includes $13 billion in funding for a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions, focused on translating the discoveries funded by the foundation into solutions that can be applied to national and societal challenges.

H.R. 2225 helps expand our STEM workforce so that, as we create the technological jobs of the future, we are also developing American workers to fill them. It invests in STEM education at every level, from pre-K to post-doc programs, ensuring all Americans have access to high- quality STEM resources.

Our bill also expands the geographic diversity of American R&D by building research capabilities at minority-serving institutions and universities outside of the top 100 research institutions.

Importantly, the NSF for the Future Act has a strong focus on protecting taxpayer-funded research from adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. Among the protections included in the bill is a provision that prohibits any grant recipients from participating in malign talent recruitment programs, like the Thousand Talents program.

Protections like these are all the more important as we increase investments in our research enterprise.

H.R. 2225 is a strategic and sustainable approach to investing in America science and technology. I would like to thank my colleague, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, for all of the work she has done with me to get this bill before the floor today.

At every step in this process, Science Committee Republicans and Democrats have worked together to identify the challenges we face and craft the strongest possible legislation to support American competitiveness. That is due in large part to the chairwoman's leadership and our shared commitment to making sure America has the best research and development enterprise in the world.

Mr. Speaker, with U.S. leadership in science and technology at risk, the U.S. must recommit to supporting basic research, cutting-edge facilities, and a thriving domestic STEM workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to take action now by supporting the NSF for the Future Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

My colleagues have done a great job today of explaining all the many reasons we need to pass the National Science Foundation for the Future Act to keep America globally competitive. I thank them for their support of this legislation.

I also want to thank my staff for all the hard work they have done on this bill. America's scientific and technological competitiveness has been my highest priority as ranking member of the Science Committee. My staff has worked long and hard to create a smart, strategic approach to doubling our investments in research and development, and I appreciate all they have done.

I also want to thank Chairwoman Johnson's staff for working so closely with us to ensure that we have a bipartisan plan to invest in America's science and technology leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the NSF for the Future Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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