Pelosi: America COMPETES Act Asserts America’s Global Economic Leadership

Pelosi: America COMPETES Act Asserts America’s Global Economic Leadership

Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this evening supporting H.R. 2272, the America COMPETES Act conference report. The conference report passed by a vote of 367 to 57. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:

“What an exciting day for the Congress. Some of you are too young to know this, but you have read about it in history books. I remember when President Kennedy came forward in 1961 and said that he was going to inaugurate a program that would send a man to the moon and back safely within 10 years.

“Now, for those of you who weren’t born yet and just read about it in history books, you have to know that sending a man to the moon was such an impossible idea at that time. It would almost be like a magician cutting somebody in half and then putting him together again. How could this possibly happen, that somebody would go into the sky, to the moon, and then come back?

“In his remarks, President Kennedy made the following statement: ‘The vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we are first, and therefore, we intend to be first. Our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to our selves as well as others, all require us to make this effort.’

“This is our Innovation Agenda which is reflected in the innovation legislation before us today. In answering President Kennedy’s call at that time, to put a man on the moon, America unleashed an unprecedented technological advance that built the world’s most vibrant economy. The talent, intellect, and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people that made this country the world leader is being seriously challenged today by other countries. Americans must continue to innovate in order to create new, thriving industries that will produce millions of good jobs here at home and a better future for the next generation.

“Today, Congress has the opportunity to make a decision for the future.

“Nearly two years ago, House Democrats created our Innovation Agenda, in a bipartisan way, which guarantees our national security and economic prosperity, expands markets for American products, and asserts our leadership throughout the world in the decades to come.

“Already this year, the New Direction Congress has led the way in promoting innovation in investments in education, science, and research and development.

“Today, with the America COMPETES Act, we have bipartisan, bicameral legislation that implements much of the Innovation Agenda.

“The COMPETES Act focuses on four key areas: education, research and development, energy independence, and small business.

“In education, the COMPETES Act recognizes that America’s greatest resources for innovation are in classrooms across this country. This legislation invests in creating the most highly qualified teachers, and training the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers through public-private partnerships. This bill also takes steps to ensure that future innovators reflect the diversity of our country.

“What I love about this bill is that it’s market-oriented, public-private, entrepreneurial-partnership, to keep us number one.