Science Innovation Brings Jobs, Benefits for Oklahoma

Science Innovation Brings Jobs, Benefits for Oklahoma

Washington, D.C.- The key to U.S. economic success is innovation. The reason that we have stayed ahead of the rest of the world, despite globalization and growing competition, is that we tend to have the best ideas - and the U.S. continues to be a magnet for people from around the world with the best ideas. And we will only be able to retain jobs and create new ones if we continue to lead the world in innovation.

The secret behind U.S. innovation is the investment the private sector and the government make every year in research and development (R&D). I'm especially aware of this because I serve on the House Science Committee, which oversees the government's investment in research at universities, national labs, and the private sector.

And during this Congress, the Science Committee has led the way in ensuring that the U.S. will continue to invest in ways that will lead to good jobs here at home.

One example is the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act that the President signed into law last year. That law established a well coordinated, focused effort on nanotechnology, under which the government will help fund work that will lead to new products and processes. Nanotechnology, which involves manipulating materials at the atomic level, is opening whole new worlds of possibility to U.S. industry.

In Oklahoma, university and private sector researchers are partnering to achieve national prominence in nanotechnology advances. The Oklahoma Network for Nanostructured Materials, or NanoNet, is made up of scientists working with nano-structured materials in chemistry, physics and engineering at Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa.

NanoNet will facilitate efforts to develop major research centers and enhance private sector research and development in our state. This network will provide a continuing stream of highly qualified students for universities, as well as highly qualified graduates for Oklahoma's emerging high-technology businesses.

In Congress, we also worked on a less technical, but equally important bill to help smaller manufacturers take advantage of technologies that already exist.

The House passed the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act, which would reauthorize the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP). This is a nationwide system of services and support for smaller manufacturers to become more globally competitive. MEP pays up to one-third of the cost of centers located throughout the country that provide technical assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturers - the backbone of our economy. There are MEP offices throughout Oklahoma, including offices in El Reno, Enid, Ponca City, Stillwater, and Weatherford.

MEP is considered one of the government's most successful federal programs and has been credited with helping create and preserve thousands of jobs nationally. Here in Oklahoma, MEP has been particularly successful. In 2001 alone, Oklahoma businesses received MEP assistance resulting in $19.2 million in increased and retained sales, cost savings of $6.8 million, and 508 Oklahoma jobs created and retained.

In the Science Committee we have also pursued legislative initiatives that might not seem as directly related to U.S. competitiveness, but nonetheless have a major economic connection.

We passed legislation to combat invasive species. Many of us are familiar with the annoyance of these non-native plants and animals that often overpower native species. Their impact, though, is far greater than mere annoyance. Indeed, each year invasive species cost the country a staggering $137 billion - yes, that's billion, with a "B."

In Oklahoma, farmers, ranchers, and conservationists are fighting invasive species such as the dreaded Eastern Redcedar tree, which quickly spreads through farm and ranch land. Another problem is the sericea lespedeza - a tenacious, aggressive plant that is considered as destructive as kudzu. The plant's dense foliage blocks sunlight to other plants and produces toxic chemicals that inhibit other growth. Both species are found everywhere in the state but the Panhandle.

When Congress returns to Washington in September, I will be working to build on this record. We must continue to invest to ensure that the U.S. remains the world's most prosperous nation.