As I wrote earlier this week, despite majority support, opponents of the spending in the America COMPETES science funding and jobs bill last Friday stopped the legislation from being voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately, today the opponents again stopped the bill from being approved.
From the Associated Press:
It was strike two for a major science funding bill Wednesday as House Republicans again united to derail legislation they said was too expensive.
Going down to defeat was the COMPETES Act, which would have committed more than $40 billion over three years to boost funding for the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies involved in basic and applied science, provided loan guarantees to small businesses developing new technologies and promoted science and math education.
[. . . ]
The legislation presented Wednesday restored the programs the Republicans tried to kill but reduced to three years, rather than five, the life of the measure, thus cutting the original $85 billion price tag to about $47 billion. It also included the anti-pornography provision.
But Democrats made a losing gamble by bringing the bill up under a procedure that prevented Republicans from offering more amendments but requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. The vote was 261-148 for passage, short of the two-thirds needed. Every Democrat supported it, but only 15 of 163 voting Republicans backed it.
Just to remind readers, America COMPETES would also provide supplemental funding for NIST and ARPA-E.
If you think the bill is worthwhile, how about contacting your legislator?