STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act

Mr. Speaker I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4375) to provide for a study on broadening participation in certain National Science Foundation research and education programs, to collect data on Federal research grants to science agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4375, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act, contains two provisions aimed at providing better information on how to make taxpayer-funded investments in STEM and research and development more effective, transparent, and fair.

First, the bill requires the National Science Foundation, for the first time, to report and make recommendations to Congress regarding the effectiveness of its research and education programs aimed at broadening the participation of women and historically underrepresented individuals in STEM.

This report will give Congress, the National Science Foundation, and other stakeholders objective information about what kinds of interventions and assistance are efficient, scalable, and effective.

In order to have a vibrant economy that provides opportunity and prosperity for all, we must be the leader in STEM fields. To do that, we need to develop the talent of all Americans. This report will help us focus resources on what works.

According to the Society of Women Engineers, which partnered with the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California's Hastings College of Law, women represent only about 15 percent of the engineering workforce.

This is an important issue because studies have found that companies with higher female representation tend to achieve more and have higher profits. According to Catalyst research of Fortune 500 companies, firms with the most female representation showed a 35 percent higher return on equity and 34 percent higher return to shareholders.

Second, the bill requires all Federal science agencies to collect standardized information, including demographics, for each application received for research and development grants. Agencies are to submit the information annually to the National Science Foundation, which is directed to publish an annual statistical summary.

This information will provide better transparency to how taxpayer dollars are spent on research and scientists, who are involved in that research, across the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Ms. Johnson, for joining me in sponsoring this bill, which, as I mentioned, also applies to really getting a much more diverse workforce, and understanding that our diverse workforce is a strength; and by only embracing that strength, are we going to be able to have and lead in STEM throughout the world. So I appreciate Ms. Johnson's longtime commitment to ensuring STEM reaches into all communities and provides opportunities for all.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Johnson for her work on this legislation in moving this forward. I know as I go around my district and I see young people, and I see the engagement of a very diverse population in STEM, this is really going to be the future of our workforce. It is exciting to be able to know that we will be able to have a small role in that today, to make sure that we are reaching everybody, because we cannot leave anybody behind with our need for more STEM resources, and to be able to make sure that we have that workforce of the 21st century. I know in Virginia alone, we have 34,000 or so cyber jobs that we are still looking for people

for. So this will help with that pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill, and I thank the Research and Technology Subcommittee chairwoman, Mrs. Comstock, for introducing it.

Research shows that the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM fields is not due to a lack of interest or motivation. There are real institutional and cultural barriers preventing talented individuals from realizing their dreams of working in STEM careers. We must better understand these barriers so that we may develop and support the most effective policies and programs.

H.R. 4375 directs the NSF to report on the effectiveness of current portfolio of broadening participation programs. This bill also includes one provision from my STEM Opportunities Act that requires all Federal science agencies to collect and report annually on data for all research grant applications and awards.

This would enable researchers to conduct a cross-agency assessment of the participation and success of Federal grant applicants across demographic groups. With information about the participation and success of women and minorities throughout the process of applying for Federal research funding, including such details as the award size, we can identify and root out any inequities that reflect implicit bias in the process.

This bill is a small, but important, step in the right direction toward ensuring equitable access to STEM education and careers.

I want to take a moment to advocate for this House considering my STEM Opportunities Act, H.R. 2653, in its entirety. That would allow us to continue the steps we are taking today to broaden participation in STEM in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on December 18, 2017, I missed three Roll Call votes because I was detained in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted:

NO on the Motion to Fix the Convening Times--House GOP Leadership has offered a motion to change tomorrow's convening time to 10:00 a.m. (Roll Call No. 685);

YES on H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act (Roll Call No. 686); and

YES on H.R. 3979, the Keep America's Refuges Operational Act (Roll Call No. 687).

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on December 18, 2017, I was not able to cast my votes during the vote series due to a prior obligation in my District. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted: NO on the Motion to Fix the Convening Time; YES on H.R. 4375-- STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act, as amended (Rep. Comstock--Science, Space, and Technology); and YES on H.R. 3979--Keep America's Refuges Operational Act, as amended (Rep. Jeffries--Natural Resources).

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained for voting on Monday, December 18. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted:

Nay on Roll Call No. 685 (On Motion to Fix the Convening Time);

Aye on Roll Call No. 686 (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 4375, STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act, as amended); and

Aye on Roll Call Vote No. 687 (Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3979, Keep America's Refuges Operational Act).