The recent passage of H.R. 4664, the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002, afforded Members of Congress the
opportunity to praise NSF and to highlight the importance of the
research it sponsors. The following are selections from floor
debate, remarks prepared for the floor, and from written
statements:
"Improved science and math education, scientific innovation, and
new technology hold the key to our nation's future economic
success, as well as our national security. During its 50 years,
NSF has supported the research of more than half of U.S. Nobel
laureates in physics, chemistry and economics, and contributed to
such breakthroughs as the Internet, artificial skin to help burn
victims and the discovery of new planets and black holes." - Rep.
Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
"The bill before us doubles NSF's budget authority over the next
five years. It matches the growth of the National Institutes of
Health over the last five years. We double budget authority for
research and development in the physical sciences and theoretical
mathematics, because they support advances in the health sciences
and because they are valuable in their own right."- Senator
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
"The funding authorized by H.R. 4664 will also begin to address
the growing imbalance in federal support for fundamental research
in the physical sciences and engineering relative to the
biomedical fields. This is a serious matter because, for any
field of science, progress is dependent on advances made in other
fields." - Rep. Ralph Hall (D-TX)
"Where the rubber meets the road, we have to stop talking and
invest, with real money, in the science and engineering
enterprise that will guaranty the health, economic viability, and
security of our future." - Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
"This legislation will provide important direction and oversight
to the National Science Foundation to help ensure that they
operate effectively and efficiently. It also ensures that we
increase research activities at our nation's universities through
NSF's highly respected merit-based, peer review award process."
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Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI)
"America's technological prowess is unequaled in the world today
- which is why, despite our economic slowdown and the financial
burdens of prosecuting the war against terrorism and ensuring our
collective defense, we still have the strongest, most vibrant
economy on the planet. However, our long-term competitive
standing and economic security could well be at risk if we do not
address a troubling trend line in our workforce, the mismatch
between the demand and supply of workers with science and
engineering training." - Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
"This is truly an historic piece of legislation for science
policy in the United States that will have profound and lasting
effect on the future prosperity of our nation." - Rep. Eddie
Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
"The research results, while not clear now, will reap huge
benefits in the future - just as research on lasers and nuclear
magnetic resonance led to advances in construction, medicine, and
defense." - Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
"One of the biggest problems our country will face in the next
few decades is the shortage of a home-grown technology educated
workforce. In order to circumvent this shortage we need to
supply American students with the opportunity to become world
leaders in math and science." - Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
"It always pays to be mindful of the fact - especially in the
wake of the September 11 events - that there is a strong and
tight linkage between our national security and the level of
science and technology proficiency in America." - Rep. John
Larson (D-CT)
"Today, with this bill, we take an important step to ensure the
well-being of this Nation and its citizens with passage of this
bill to double the funding for the basic research and science
education activities of the National Science Foundation over the
next five years." - Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
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