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Are we losing what made America great?
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The Top American Science Questions: 2012
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Innovation |
Climate Change | Research and the Future |
Education |
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| 1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation? |
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| California is home to the transformative innovation of Silicon Valley, home to more than 100 universities and colleges, more than a quarter of U.S. venture capital investment and six of the top 10 patent-producing U.S. cities. Our high-tech industry is critical to the growth of the global economy. A top priority for me is my ‘patent box’ legislation to make the United States more attractive for manufacturing companies, including many in Silicon Valley. Under the bill, companies that domestically manufacture products based on U.S. patents will pay a lower corporate tax rate—15 percent compared to the usual 35 percent. This bill is not only good for U.S. manufacturers, it will serve a powerful role as a catalyst for innovation. | |||
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| 2. Climate Change. The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, and other policies proposed to address global climate change—and what steps can we take to improve our ability to tackle challenges like climate change that cross national boundaries? |
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| I believe the long-term health of the planet depends on taking further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The inability of Congress to address climate change is one of the great disappointments in my tenure, including the failure to enact cap-and-trade legislation that I supported. However, I was proud to author one of the most significant pieces of climate legislation signed into law: the bipartisan Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act. In addition to requiring at least a 10 mpg increase for passenger vehicles over 10 years, the law required ‘maximum feasible’ fuel economy standards. That provision led to this year’s federal rule requiring 54.5 mpg by 2025, a tremendous victory that will cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks in half by 2025 and reduce emissions by 6 billion metric tons. That’s more than the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the United States in 2010. | |||
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| 3. Research and the Future. Federally funded research has helped to produce America’s major postwar economies and to ensure our national security, but today the UK, Singapore, China, and Korea are making competitive investments in research. Given that the next Congress will face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in research in your upcoming budgets? |
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| I believe federal funding must play a critical role in ensuring the United States remains at the forefront of scientific innovation. While I recognize we are operating under severe budgetary constraints, I will continue to promote efforts to fund critical science programs through my seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. One example of this is my strong support for ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), an Energy Department agency that promotes and funds advanced energy technology R&D. Since 2009 the agency has received $800 million to fund more than 200 innovative energy technology projects. This agency is on the cutting edge of energy research, not only in the United States but globally. | |||
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| 4. Education. Increasingly, the global economy is driven by science, technology, engineering and math, but a recent comparison of 15-year-olds in 65 countries found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 23rd, while average U.S. math scores ranked 31st. In your view, why have American students fallen behind over the last three decades, and what role should the federal government play to better prepare students of all ages for the science and technology-driven global economy? |
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| I have always been a strong supporter of schools and teachers. In particular, I believe excellent teachers in math and science classrooms are critical for the United States to remain competitive. It is imperative that we fully prepare our students with the skills necessary for 21st century jobs, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). I supported the America COMPETES Act, a bill signed into law last year that increased funding for STEM education. The federal government and its partners must coordinate efforts to increase student interest in math and science long before they reach college age in order to boost the number of STEM graduates entering the workforce. | |||
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| 5. Energy. Many policymakers and scientists say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future? |
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| As a result of my bipartisan Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act, which was signed into law in 2007, vehicles are more fuel efficient and the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards are headed toward responsible levels, based on the best science available. New standards will increase fleet wide fuel economy to 35.5 mpg by 2016 and 54.5 by 2025, up from 25 mpg in 2006. This will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump and reduce U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels. I am also a strong proponent of renewable energy technologies. This year I joined with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe to draft provisions to renew critical tax incentives for energy efficient buildings and factories. And in 2009 and 2010 I championed renewable energy tax incentives that have been widely credited with growing the renewable energy sector even during the current economic downturn. Nationwide, renewable electricity production capacity has doubled over recent years, a remarkable achievement. | |||
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| 6. Fresh Water. Less than one percent of the world’s water is liquid fresh water, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of U.S. and global fresh water is now at risk because of increasing consumption, evaporation and pollution. What steps, if any, should the federal government take to secure clean, abundant fresh water for all Americans? | |||
| All Americans deserve access to reliable, affordable and safe drinking water. To move toward this goal, the federal government must work with local and state governments to make investments in water infrastructure. This means investments in new and expanded reservoirs; levee repairs and flood protection; groundwater storage; desalination; and water reuse. We must also continue to remediate contaminated aquifers—especially those where the federal government contributed to their contamination at former defense facilities—in order to take full advantage of natural groundwater recharge. Not only will these investments provide water supply reliability, but they will also create jobs. | |||
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| 7. The Internet. The Internet plays a central role in both our economy and our society. What role, if any, should the federal government play in managing the Internet to ensure its robust social, scientific, and economic role? |
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| The Internet is playing an ever-increasing role in providing an efficient, democratic venue to share information and ideas in our increasingly interconnected world. As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the importance of the Internet in closed societies. We need look no further than recent political revolutions in the Middle East to understand the transformative role that online communication plays, both in terms of organization and dissemination of alternative ideas. The Internet is also invaluable within our own borders as a means of spreading information and facilitating collaboration. I am especially proud to represent Silicon Valley, which continues to push the online envelope and continually redefines how the Internet affects billions of lives. | |||
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| 8. Science in Public Policy. We live in an era when science and technology affect every aspect of life and society, and so must be included in well-informed public policy decisions. How will you ensure that policy and regulatory decisions are fully informed by the best available scientific and technical information, and that the public is able to evaluate the basis of these policy decisions? |
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| I believe public policy should be based on the best science available. Whether the policies are related to the economy, health care, the environment or any other area, politics should not interfere with science. One example is medical research, which I believe must be the foundation for improving health care and producing innovative and more cost-effective treatments. I have long been a proponent for biomedical research and believe such efforts hold tremendous promise to revolutionize health care, not to mention create jobs and bolster the economy. Science must drive public policy as much as possible, and I will continue to act on that belief. |
