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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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| It is imperative that the United States lead the world in innovation in the 21st century. Our standard of living, job opportunities for our citizens, lifesaving cures and treatments for our loved ones, and a healthy environment for all depend on it. In my judgment, that kind of leadership will require a comprehensive and sustained effort from both our public and private sectors – including a robust investment in education (especially the STEM fields), a federal commitment to research and development, a renewed emphasis on next generation manufacturing, translating federally funded breakthroughs to commercial applications in the private sector, an immigration policy that enables us to recruit and retain the best and brightest scientists from around the world, and appropriate tax, regulatory, and legal policy. | |||
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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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| The overwhelming scientific consensus is that the earth’s climate is changing and that human activity – including emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases – is contributing to that change. In that regard, I introduced the first Cap and Dividend legislation in the United States Congress, which would have put a price on greenhouse gas emissions and rebated the proceeds to consumers in the form of a Healthy Climate Dividend. Additionally, I have supported comprehensive clean energy legislation like the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act, which included a cap and trade program, as well as Green Bank and Home Energy Savings Revolving Fund initiatives I authored. Finally, while I believe the United States should lead on this issue, I also favor robust international engagement with other greenhouse gas emitting countries in order to maximize our global progress in this area. | |||
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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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| We can maintain America’s global leadership by prioritizing investments in research and development as part of a balanced plan and fiscally responsible budget. In fact, the budget proposed by President Obama and mirrored in the House Democratic budget achieves this goal. While cutting the deficit, the Democratic budget ensures the U.S. remains a world leader in innovation by supporting the next generation of scientific leaders. In contrast, the Republican budget threatens this funding by reducing non–defense discretionary funds by $26.6 billion, or 5.3% below the level in the Democratic budget. Over ten years, the Republican budget cuts non–defense spending by $900 billion, or 17% below the Democratic budget. | |||
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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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| There is no single explanation for the challenge America faces in STEM education – issues range from the persistent achievement gap in high-poverty schools to teacher training and professional development. I agree with “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” that we must develop outstanding K-12 teachers in math and science that have subject-matter expertise and can engage students in meaningful ways. I support President Obama’s goal of 100,000 effective math and science teachers to train one million STEM graduates over the next decade through new competitive grants for STEM teacher training programs and funding for the National Science Foundation and Department of Education to identify and disseminate best practices for quality teacher preparation and student learning at K-12 and undergraduate levels.
I also support the state-driven transition to common core standards. I am pleased that most states are adopting the new math standards, and look forward to the final Next Generation Science Standards. It is essential that we challenge students with a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum that prepares them to compete globally. |
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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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| Energy security requires a reliable, abundant, and affordable supply of energy to meet our needs; sustainability requires that the production and consumption of that energy be consistent with a healthy environment for future generations. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, my focus has been on pursuing policies that make meaningfully more efficient use of the energy we currently have while accelerating deployment of cleaner, renewable energy sources for the 21st century. Those policies include a 55 mpg corporate average fuel economy standard by 2025, economy-wide efficiency standards and support for a modern public transportation system – as well as a national renewable electricity standard, the establishment of a Green Bank to provide low-cost financing for qualified clean energy projects and a properly structured tax code. | |||
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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? | |||
| Securing clean, abundant fresh water for all Americans in the 21st century will over the long term require a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes pollution prevention, using our water more efficiently and developing cost-effective technologies to increase our fresh water supply.
As regards pollution prevention, we have unfortunately seen an unprecedented effort to weaken and dismantle the Clean Water Act over the past two years, with 31 votes specifically targeting that landmark legislation in the 112th Congress. I strongly oppose efforts to weaken existing safe water standards or undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce water quality rules. Additionally, as the result of Supreme Court rulings in 2001 and 2006 and guidelines issued by the Bush Administration in 2003 and 2007, 20 million acres of wetlands and 60% of all streams (including those that supply drinking water to 117 million Americans) are without Clean Water Act protections. We need to clarify the original intent of the Clean Water Act to ensure that these essential waterways meet basic safe water standards. In addition to pollution prevention, we need to redouble our efforts at using our water supply more efficiently – whether by eliminating waste or by recycling and re-use where appropriate. Finally, we should invest in developing technologies like desalinization and other filtering processes capable of cost-effectively increasing our fresh water supply. |
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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 federal government has a limited but important role to play regarding the internet. Because the 21st century economy is increasingly an information economy, I believe the federal government should pursue policies designed to eliminate the “digital divide” so that every American, every business, and every student has access to broadband. Additionally, for the internet to continue to flourish, the federal government must strike an appropriate balance between the protection of intellectual property and fair use. Identity theft, fraud, and other criminal activity must be policed on the internet as vigorously as it is offline. Finally, it has become increasingly clear that the federal government, in partnership with the private sector, must increase our vigilance in the area of cybersecurity and the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure. | |||
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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 that scientific discovery and technology should lay the foundation for our policy and regulatory decision-making. It is critical that our national research agencies support independent, high quality scientific research and make use of extensive peer-review and evaluation processes. As Congress develops public policy, I will continue to engage and seek counsel from our world class scientists and technicians working at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute on Standards and Technology, and other federal agencies. Throughout this process, I’m committed to sharing information with the public, facilitating meaningful dialogue, and providing an opportunity for feedback on policy proposals. |
