IEEE-USA In Action

IEEE-USA Meets With Senators to Discuss
Challenges to U.S. S&T Leadership

IEEE-USA Vice President for Technology Policy, Dr. Russell Lefevre, and IEEE-USA legislative representatives met on Capitol Hill with the staff of Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) to discuss the Senators' plans to introduce comprehensive innovation and workforce legislation. In 2005, Senators Alexander and Bingaman requested a study from the National Academies of Science and Engineering to identify the top ten actions, in priority order, that federal policy makers can take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so the United States can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the Global Community of the Twenty-First Century. The study's other goal is to formulate an implementation strategy with several concrete steps that can be used to implement the study's recommendations.

In response, the National Academies convened a distinguished panel, chaired by Norm Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin and an IEEE Fellow, and comprised of industry and academic leaders in science and technology. The panel issued a report entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, which lays out specific recommendations in the areas of K-12 education, research and development, undergraduate and graduate education, and innovation incentives.

Senators Alexander and Bingaman are currently reviewing the report with the idea of using it as a basis to introduce comprehensive legislation that would incorporate some or all of the recommendations. Congressional legislation will be crucial if the the reforms advocated by the study are to be carried out.

"The National Academies report is an excellent start, and it has done wonders to shine a light on these issues," according to Lefevre, "however, nothing can be done unless Congress and the Administration act to get the recommendations passed into law. Our purpose in meeting with the Senate Staff is to see what IEEE-USA can do in to help this effort."

A task force of IEEE-USA's Technology Policy Committee is reviewing the NAS report and will provide a detailed analysis to assist the Senate with its legislative initiative.

Last Update:  15 May 2007