Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Haley Stevens for this opportunity to speak on behalf of this really important legislation.

Imagine, if you will, the ability to model a manufacturing process to design a basketball shoe, maybe modeling the opportunity to cure a disease, maybe modeling market behavior, perhaps modeling a system to be able to equitably donate organs to people or molecules to cure a disease, modeling energy sources so that we can have a more safe and healthy planet, or maybe even, unfortunately, having to model the destruction of our infrastructure so that we can make sure that we have the national security resources to be able to protect our fine Nation.

H.R. 730, the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act, is designed to address all of these different issues in our society, but I come to the floor with really bad news, as though we needed more. America's K-12 students are falling further and further behind, particularly behind China's students, academically.

This lag is particularly concerning when we talk about the STEM fields because our industrial base continues to tell us that we are not educating and preparing the designers, engineers, and modelers of the future in order to be able to compete with our adversaries.

The National Assessment on Education Progress, which is colloquially known as the Nation's report card, has shown us that this knowledge and talent shortage is a nationwide challenge. In 2022, the assessment registered the largest decline in mathematics scores since we first started assessing in 1990. The scores of the average fourth grader were down 5 points. Worse, the average eighth grader recorded a score of 8 points lower than the previous assessment. The 2024 survey was even more concerning because it showed an overall growth of zero from 2022 and even declines among some students, as well.

With all the chaos that is unfolding in other parts of our government, particularly in the education sector, now is the time to invest in math and STEM education.

The Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act is just one answer to this challenge. It is a bipartisan bill, and it directs $10 million of already-appropriated money to the National Science Foundation for a grant program that will support the modernization of mathematical and statistical modeling for education across this Nation.

As a former educator myself and an engineer by education and profession, I know personally that there is a very serious need to improve mathematics education for our K-12 students. Indeed, when I taught chemistry, I saw firsthand how my students struggled because they lacked the basic foundations in math that are necessary for the sciences. Today, I hear from both our generals and our CEOs about what these gaps mean for our country. It doesn't just hurt our economy. It hurts our national security, as well.

Math skills form the basis for all the STEM disciplines, and importantly, they also form the basis just for critical thinking and problem-solving in general. If our students can't get ahead in school, how will they get ahead in the STEM workforce as engineers, computer scientists, chemists, nurses, doctors, and much more?

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, importantly, how will those who may decide to pursue STEM fields succeed where these same skills are useful among the trades or manufacturing?

Thankfully, schools across the country are developing new tools and curricula with students to help them learn these challenging topics.

I will repeat again that this is without any additional cost. This is with funds already appropriated.

I will also repeat again that this is a bipartisan piece of legislation that will provide our young people with the skills they need to succeed in our marketplace.

It passed in the 118th Congress unanimously out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology as well when it was last marked up. I hope that my colleagues will support this unanimously and make this bill finally a law.

Lastly, I thank my Republican colleague and fellow veteran, Mr. Baird, for his hard work on this legislation and extend appreciation to the staff of the SST Committee, as well as Representative Stevens and Representative Babin, who have helped shepherd this legislation through today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure to strengthen our national security and our economy.

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