Rep. Calvert Spearheads Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging Open Competition in Innovation Research Funding

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) spearheaded a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging conferees reconciling the differences between the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) (S. 1260) to drop provisions that would hamstring future research funding at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE). Rep. Calvert led the letter along with Rep. Sean Casten (IL-6), Senator Richard Durbin (IL) and Senator Mitt Romney (UT), and it was signed by 95 total members of the House and Senate.

"If America is going to continue to lead the world in innovation and research, we must be able to direct funding to our leading institutions and not create roadblocks to developing new technologies," said Rep. Calvert. "The goal of both USICA and the COMPETES Act is not to evenly spread around tax dollars, it's to spur innovation and American competitiveness. Our bipartisan, bicameral letter sends a strong message that conferees should reject this misguided provision."

Provisions in the Senate-passed USICA would set aside 20 percent of the total NSF budget for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states as well as 20 percent of funds authorized for DOE and the NSF Directorate for Technology and Innovation. The set aside would arbitrarily seal off a sizable percentage of a science agency's budget from a majority of the country's research institutions and would fundamentally reduce the entire nation's scientific capacity and damage the research profiles of existing institutions – contrary to the goals of both USICA and the COMPETES Act.

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