Senate Leaders Push Competitiveness Measure

Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced S. 761, the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science (COMPETES) Act of 2007. This bill is the latest manifestation of the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), which has been a Congressional buzz term since the President began the initiative in early 2006 in reaction to the National Academies report Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Despite the buzz, no bills have made any significant progress on Capitol Hill. However, S. 761 is unlike last year’s predecessors in that it is sponsored by both Democrat and Republican Senate leaders.



COMPETES looks at improving mathematics and science education. Senators said they hope to keep the United States competitive with China, India and other rapidly growing technological powers by authorizing more spending on a number of federal research and education programs. The bill would double the budget of the National Science Foundation, from $5.6 billion in fiscal year 2006 (FY06) to $11.2 billion by FY11. The bill would focus attention on elementary and secondary education programs by:

> Establishing new summer training programs for teachers at the National Laboratories and at the National Science Foundation;
> Assisting states in the development of specialty schools in math and science;
> Expanding Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs by increasing the number of teachers prepared to teach those courses; and
> Creating partnerships between the National Laboratories and high-need high schools to establish math and science centers.

A similar bill failed in the 109th Congress, but the party leaders in the Senate have pledged their full support to this effort and have promised to bring the bill to the Senate floor as early as next month. There does not appear to be any real opposition to the bill and Senators, such as Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT), see the bill as the first of several efforts to boost competitiveness through federal attention to education. Additional steps will appear as the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind proceeds.

On the House side, Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) has stated his intention to reinstate the "innovation agenda" he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) introduced in 2005. Miller wants to increase the number of college graduates entering the technology and engineering fields by promoting his own math and science education agenda instead of the Bush administration's ACI. There is, however, no current House counterpart to S. 761 at this time.

Resources:
Jessica Brady, "Miller To Push His Own Competitiveness Plan Over Bush's," National Journal, February 20, 2007.
Michael Sandler, “Senators Push Bill Aimed at Math, Science Education Improvements,” CQ Today, March 6, 2007.
Author: SAS