TMS Public and Governmental Affairs Resource Center

FROM THE FEDERATION OF MATERIALS SOCIETIES: On May 21, the House by voice vote and with little discussion passed a bill combining several measures it had already passed addressing different components of R&D and education to support American competitiveness. Passage of the omnibus bill will facilitate conference committee deliberations with the Senate, which last month passed its own "America COMPETES" act by a vote of 88-8.

The House bill keeps the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the laboratories at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on a track to double research spending over ten years. It also reauthorizes NIST for the first time in over a decade, funds the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships program, and reorganizes the Advanced Technology Program. The bill also authorizes education programs at NSF and the Department of Energy, including awards for early career and teacher development. While the bill follows many of the recommendations of President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative, the administration has objected to some of its costs, primarily at NIST. The White House has stopped short of threatening a veto, however, and in light of the overwhelmingly bipartisan votes in both the House and Senate, final passage and signing into law is seen as likely before the end of the year.

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