The members of the Science & Technology Action Committee (STAC) want to thank the many policymakers who worked diligently in recent years to advance science and technology in the United States. Their efforts have paid off with a series of impressive legislative wins, including the recent passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, infrastructure bill, and the massive health, climate and energy spending package.
- The CHIPS and Science Act will support research and innovation across several federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy and Commerce and the National Science Foundation.
- The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help rejuvenate our renowned research labs and scientific institutions, while also supporting clean energy and climate change mitigation strategies.
- The Inflation Reduction Act, which supports energy security and climate change mitigation efforts.
These bold investments will benefit the health and economic well-being of every American, strengthen U.S. national security and position the United States to lead the global effort of tackling the existential challenges facing the world. Together, the three packages offer critically important progress by providing robust federal support to national priorities in desperate financial need.
As we take time to thank our policymakers, we are also mindful of the enormity of the challenges ahead. We look forward to helping them finish the job by fully funding these historic achievements.
For the U.S. to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow and lead the globe in science and technology innovation, Congress must now provide annual funding for many of the provisions in these landmark bills. That includes the nearly $170 billion authorized but not yet appropriated in the CHIPS and Science Act for science-fueled research and innovation across several federal agencies. Similarly, Congress still needs to fund parts of the infrastructure bill. Lawmakers must not take their foot off the gas pedal before they fully fund these three bills in the 2023 appropriations process — and beyond.
The members of the Science and Technology Action Committee commend the policymakers who’ve served as allies for science on Capitol Hill for the remarkable progress over the past year. We’ll continue to support them as they work to secure the funding needed to improve the lives of every American and expand our economy through science.
We encourage you to read and support the Science and Technology Action Plan. To do so, click here.