(Washington, DC) – House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas released a statement on the introduction of the Endless Frontier Act today.
“I have been a strong advocate for prioritizing investment in American science and technology, so while I welcome Senator Schumer to this important discussion, the Endless Frontier Act is both problematic legislation and a flawed approach to driving American Innovation,” Lucas said. “With a $112 billion slush fund for the White House to spend on technology, this proposal lacks strategy, focus, and practical solutions. Meanwhile, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee has serious proposals to increase spending on research and keep America competitive globally.
“Earlier this month I reintroduced the Security American Leadership in Technology Act, which creates a national science and technology strategy, doubles basic research funding over the next 10 years, invests in U.S. scientific infrastructure, improves technology transfer from lab to market, and protects American research from theft by foreign adversaries.
“Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and I have also introduced the bipartisan NSF for the Future Act to reauthorize the National Science Foundation and double down on basic research funding over the next 5 years. Our legislation focuses on building a domestic STEM workforce, while also creating a new directorate of NSF focused on science and engineering solutions. Importantly, we’re working to improve how we apply discoveries in the lab to solving national challenges from cybersecurity to climate change. Our Committee is also working towards bipartisan legislation to support the Department of Energy's Office of Science and invest in our National Laboratories, an important part of what makes the American innovation ecosystem the best in the world.
“We face very real threats to our scientific leadership from the Chinese Communist Party, and we can’t afford to fall behind. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the Senate Committees of jurisdiction, and stakeholders to move legislation that is as bold and ambitious as the greatest scientific minds in our country, but also provides a stable and sustainable path forward for the U.S. research enterprise to keep its position as the world’s leader in science and technology.”