National Science Foundation for the Future Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the NSF for the Future Act, a bipartisan bill to revitalize one of the most important pillars of our Federal Government's investments in innovation, the National Science Foundation.

I certainly want to recognize the great work of Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their leadership in developing this forward-looking legislation. I was so proud to help usher it through my Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

The commitment to bipartisan collaboration and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders has resulted in a carefully crafted bill that provides a much-needed infusion of funding and addresses needs across the agency's portfolio.

The NSF for the Future Act has been endorsed by nearly 50 organizations, including the AFL-CIO, American Society of Civil Engineers, the Semiconductor Industry Association, and higher education institutions across the country.

The bill puts forth a suite of sweeping proposals, from scaling up preK-12 STEM education research innovations and modernizing higher education student training to funding more research infrastructure and expanding opportunities to participate in NSF-funded projects.

The NSF for the Future Act also supports the evolution of the NSF by ramping up support for use-inspired and translational research through the creation of a partnership-driven, solutions-oriented directorate.

The National Science Foundation plays a pivotal role in our research ecosystem. As the only Federal agency charged with supporting fundamental research across all scientific disciplines, we cannot risk undermining or diminishing this function. Our capacity to innovate will be constrained if we choke off the flow of fundamental research dollars.

As members of the Science Committee, we know all too well what is at stake and what we are doing to conduct our due diligence here today. We have held hearing after hearing to explore the challenges and opportunities for advancing NSF's mission through a comprehensive reauthorization bill.

We heard from the NSF's director and chair of the National Science Board that the agency is poised to take on an infusion of funding and an expansion of its mission to deliver the benefits of research to the American people.

We heard from stakeholders all across the country in academia and from the private sector and innovation policy experts that the NSF is an essential asset that has been squeezed by flat budgets for too long.

Yes, here today is a bipartisan effort to commit to doubling scientific research funding in this country. We all remember the headline we got several years ago that diminished the funding for this agency, that gave us the projection of a lost generation in scientific research, yet here today we are committed to action because innovation is the great propellor of this Nation.

The challenges--the unique challenges that we have faced in the 21st century have been bested time and time again because of what we do as Americans: We innovate. And I know that all too well as a Member of Congress from Michigan dedicated to the production and the patents and the hard work to produce results.

Increasing the budget of the NSF is also not nearly enough. A new directorate charged with use-inspired research with a focus on expanding opportunities, forging new partnerships, and engagement with the public is needed to chart the course forward for this agency. It is time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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