U.S. Senate and House to pursue Legislation for National STEM Funding Initiative (inSPIREing @STEMconnector)

Passage of Senate Comprehensive Immigration Reform A Victory for Nation and STEM Education

Submitted by William Broman on June 28, 2013

Washington, D.C. – inSPIRE STEM USA applauds the Senate for addressing America’s STEM crisis in the comprehensive immigration legislation passed yesterday.  Coalition Co-Chairs John Sununu and Maria Cardona observed that this historic bill has the potential to alter the nation’s science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer science jobs and education landscape and help America remain a leading innovator in the global economy.  The Coalition is also encouraged that the House Judiciary Committee has endorsed the concept of a national STEM fund and will pursue separate legislation to establish the fund.

“Our coalition joins leaders in education and business communities to applaud the Senate for addressing the national STEM jobs gap by reforming high-skilled immigration to fill the current gap and creating a stronger STEM education pipeline to ensure America’s high-skilled jobs are filled in the future,” Sununu said.   

Along with provisions around immigration reform, the Senate bill also provides immediate and long-term solutions to the nation’s STEM jobs and education crisis.  Through an improved H-1B visa program, companies can hire more high-skilled workers from overseas to fill currently vacant positions.  Additional fees companies pay for these visas will go toward a national STEM education fund that will help create a stronger STEM education pipeline to ensure more Americans are prepared to fill these high-skilled jobs in the long-term.

The fund would be the only federal funding stream for enhancing these education opportunities in all states throughout the country.  inSPIRE STEM USA, a coalition of businesses, education groups and advocacy organizations, was created in January of 2013 and has spent the past five months calling attention to the STEM jobs crisis and seeking this two-part solution.

“This bill is an important step toward not only fixing an outdated system but providing more Americans with opportunities to acquire skills in STEM,” said Cardona.  “Establishing a STEM fund will help produce more homegrown talent from all communities to ensure America is producing the entrepreneurs and innovators our country needs to be competitive in a global economy.  Our coalition will be working hard in the coming months to ensure the STEM fund is a part of the final legislation.”