Response to the Gathering Storm Report Paul J. Kostek VP Career Activities 2 September 2007
Mar 27, 2015
Response to the Gathering Storm Report
Paul J. Kostek
VP Career Activities
2 September 2007
Agenda
Legislative Response Presidential Response Congressional Hearings
Gathering Storm Recommendations
Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation
Sustain and strengthen America’s commitment to long term basic research
Increase America’s talent pool by improving K-12 math and science education
Develop, recruit and retain top students, scientists and engineers from US and abroad
Legislation
Key Innovation and Competitiveness Bills HR 2272 - 21st Century Competitiveness Act Rep Bart Gordon (D-TN-06) Passed House – 21 May 2007 S 761 - America Competes Act Sen Harry Reid (D-NV) Passed Senate – 25 April 2007 (88-8) Conference completed on 7/31/07 Signed by President on August 7
COMPETE
The first legislation addressing the Gathering Storm Report to be implemented is: HR 2272 America Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act (COMPETES)
Signed by the President in August
Details
Increased STEM spending Recruiting more STEM teachers Refining skills of current teachers Improving STEM programs Providing access to lab and hands-on
science experiences
COMPETE Titles
OSTP NASA NIST NOAA DoEnergy DoEducation NSF General Provisions – Sec Commerce
Agencies Receiving Funds
NSF Education and Human Resources Directorate Noyce Scholarship – recruitment of STEM majors to
teaching Department of Education funding
Development and implementation of college courses to a concurrent STEM and teaching certification
Department of Energy Use staff of national labs to as a resource to provide
support, mentoring and hands-on experience for teachers and students
Pending Leg
Key Education and Training Bills HR 362 – 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Math and Science Scholarship Act Rep Bart Gordon (D-TN-06) Passed House – 25 April 2007 FY 08 Appropriations Bills HR 2559 – Temporary Extension of programs under the Higher Education Act Rep George Miller (D-CA-07) Passed House – 7 June 2007 S 1704 – Temporary Extension of programs under the Higher Education Act Sen Edward Kennedy (D-M) Passed Senate – 27 June 2007 Cleared for the White House HR 244 – Technology Training and Investment Now (Train) Act Rep Jerry Weller (R-IL-11) Introduced – 5 January 2007, Referred to Ways and Means Tax credit for ICT education and training
Pending Leg cont
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Proposals HR 1645 – STRIVE Act Reps Luis Gutierrez (D-IL-04) and Jeff Flake (R-
AZ-06) Introduced – 27 March 2007, Referred to Judiciary
and Homeland Security S 1639 – Border Security, Economic Opportunity
and Immigration Reform Act Sen Edward Kennedy (D-MA) Introduced – 18 June 2007 Cloture vote defeated (46-53) – 28 June
Pending Leg cont
Key High Tech Immigration Reform Proposals S 1035 – H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act Sens Durbin (D-IL) and Grassley (R-IA) Introduced – 29 March 2007 S 1083 – Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership (SKIL)
Act Sen John Cornyn (R-TX) Introduced – 10 April 2007 HR 1930 – Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership (SKIL)
Act Rep John Shadegg (R-AZ-03) Introduced – 4 June 2007, Referred to House Judiciary Committee HR 2538 – Defend the American Dream Act Rep Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-08) Introduced – 24 May 2007
President’s Initiative
President’s American Competitiveness Initiative Purposes - To strengthen America’s economy and global leadership by encouraging
entrepreneurship and innovation. Research and Development – To generate the knowledge and tools needed to create
new technologies by increasing Federal support for research and development in the physical sciences and engineering and by modernizing and making permanent the Research & Development Tax Credit
Education and Training – To strengthen America’s knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy by improving K-12 math, science and technology education and the teaching of key analytical, technical and problem-solving skills
Immigration Reform – To help attract and retain the best and brightest high-skilled workers from around the world in order to increase productivity, improve international competitiveness and create high-paying jobs in the United States.
Pro-Growth Economic Policies – To help cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation by reducing taxes and regulatory burdens and by strengthening protections for intellectual property.
Cost Estimate - $5.9 billion in FY 2007 and more than $136 billion over ten years
Congressional Hearings
Workforce Globalization and Off-shoring Hearings
House Science and Technology Committee
Hearings on the Globalization of R&D and Innovation
12 June 2007 Series of 4 hearings being organized by
Ron Hira
What’s Happened Before?
1989 NSF Future Scarcities of Engineers and Scientists Lead to similar push – by 1991 the
Peace Dividend kicked-in and engineering unemployment grew
Congress spent more time investigating NSF than passing legislation
Difference this time – Globalization
What Others Think
Succeeding in the Global Economy A New Policy Agenda for the American Worker – Authors: Aldonas/Lawrence/Slaughter – Sponsor The Financial Services Forum
Calls for a new policy agenda with innovations to facilitate adjustment by workers, communities and firms
Adjustment Policies - Individuals
Combine Unemployment insurance and current Trade Adjustment Assistance program into a single Integrated Adjustment Assistance program
Wage insurance Portability of health insurance Assistance with geographic relocation or
establishing a new business retraining
Adjustment Policies - Individuals
Congress should allow individuals to deduct from their gross income for tax purposes the full cost of education and training expenses even when directed at preparation for an entirely new career
Adjustment Policies- Communities
Federal insurance to allow communities to insure their tax base against sudden economic dislocation
Identify certain communities facing pressures from international competition as Global Economic Development Platforms eligible for trade preferences, tax benefits and federal financing
Adjustment Policies - Firms
Allow credit against income taxes for the marginal increase in expenses incurred in extending internal education and training facilities to workers outside the firm and students at local community colleges
Expand programs for certification under international standards (lean and quality)
Safeguards in trade agreements to provide time and incentive to respond to international competition
Conclusion
COMPETES is a step in the direction to address issues raised in the Gathering Storm report
We still need to address what happens to engineers and scientists in the marketplace and maintaining their competitiveness
Resources
Succeeding in the Global Economy available at: www.financialservicesforum.org
IEEE-USA Website – ieeeusa.org