America COMPETES: Science and the U.S. Economy

SCom: InnovationWASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today announced the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. to begin the committee’s work on the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act, which funds government research and development initiatives that are critical to maintaining the country’s global advantage in these important areas. This hearing will examine why the federal government must invest in research and development and STEM education, and how these investments drive innovation and the U.S. economy.

Currently, the federal government funds 31 percent of all research and development in the U.S. This seed funding has played a major role in the advancement of high-tech industries such as computing, aerospace and biotechnology. However, in recent years the U.S. has fallen behind its competitors in investments in these important fields due to the sequester and other budget cuts. Following the government shutdown, The Science Coalition released a report that reinforced the vital role of federal scientific research investments in the creation of successful new companies and new jobs. 

Please note the hearing will be webcast live via the Senate Commerce Committee website.  Refresh the Commerce Committee homepage 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to automatically begin streaming the webcast.

Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid or service, including closed captioning service for webcast hearings, should contact Stephanie Gamache at 202-224-5511 at least three business days in advance of the hearing date.

###

If you are having trouble viewing this hearing, please try the following steps:

  1. Clear your browser's cache - Guide to clearing browser cache
  2. Close and re-open your browser
  3. If the above two steps do not help, please try another browser. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have the highest level of compatibility with our player.

Majority Statement

  • Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

    Chairman
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Minority Statement

  • Senator John Thune

    Ranking Member
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Testimony

  • The Honorable Lamar Alexander

    U.S. Senator
    Tennessee

Witness Panel 2

  • Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier

    Vice Chairman, National Science Board
    Vice President for Research, Regents' Professor of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma
    Download Testimony (311.03 KB)
  • Dr. Saul Perlmutter

    Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley
    Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    Download Testimony (825.61 KB)
  • Dr. Maria Klawe

    President
    Harvey Mudd College
  • Dr. Stephen S. Tang MBA

    President and CEO
    University City Science Center