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Keep America Competitive
by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Published in the Austin American Statesman April 23, 2008
On April 15, I met with the presidents of some of America's most prestigious universities to discuss improving our nation's global competitiveness. There is a growing consensus that America's future prosperity is threatened by an erosion in our educational capabilities. Compared with children in other countries, our nation's students are underperforming in the vitally important fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). These areas of expertise spur creativity and new technologies, which are essential for economic growth. In fact, as much as 85 percent of the measured growth in per capita income is due to technological advancement.
As part of "Competitiveness Week," I joined my Senate colleagues to promote legislative ideas that will spur America's economy. Congress must take the necessary steps to strengthen the foundations of America's prosperity — namely, science and technology. As Norman Augustine, the former CEO of Lockheed Martin who headed the National Academies' groundbreaking report on competitiveness, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," said: "I have never seen American business and academic leaders as concerned about this nation's future prosperity as they are today."
Our neglect has led to China surpassing the United States as the world's largest exporter of information-technology products. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that America is the world's technological leader in the 21st century. One way to do this is make the research and development (R&D) tax credit permanent. This vital initiative, which serves as a crucial driver of R&D investment decisions, expired on Dec. 31. With foreign governments actively recruiting U.S. companies to base research operations abroad, the R&D tax credit is a proven, effective incentive for companies to increase their investment in America.
We also need to ensure that the best minds in the world have the opportunity to work in our country. Current visa restraints that limit the number of U.S.-educated foreign-born workers from staying here must be reformed. One large financial institution recently tried to hire 200 foreign-born students who had graduated from Ivy League schools and were seeking employment in the United States. Only 60 were able to get work visas and remain in the country; many of the remaining students accepted jobs in London. Many economists predict that, in 10 years, London will supplant New York as the world's financial capital.
These measures will build upon the highly successful America Competes Act, which Congress passed last year. This legislation expands research by 2010 by doubling funding levels for the National Science Foundation to $11.2 billion and substantially increases funding for the Energy Department's Office of Science by 144 percent to more than $5.2 billion.
Second, the act also strengthens the skills of teachers in STEM. According to the Center for the Study of Teaching, the most consistent predictor of student achievement in STEM is the presence of teachers who are fully certified and have at least a bachelor's degree in the subject they teach. That's why we're funding Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow, a grant program modeled after the UTeach Program at the University of Texas that encourages undergraduate students to gain degrees in their STEM fields of study with teacher certification obtained through required electives. In addition, the legislation increases the number of Advanced Placement courses in underprivileged schools and the supply of teachers who are able to teach those courses.
Altogether, the America Competes Act is a major step forward in meeting the economic challenges of the future. Congress must advance legislation that strengthens our long-term prosperity.
By making the R&D tax credit permanent, increasing the visa system to attract and retain the brightest minds in critical fields, and fully funding the initiatives set forth in the America Competes Act, we will have a better-educated work force, enhanced research and more ground-breaking innovation. I am committed to passing these measures to advance our economy for generations to come. Our future depends on it.
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