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STEM EDUCATION IN THE
1 1 3 TH C O N G R E S S
JULY 8, 2013
Della Cronin, Washington Partners, LLC
Agenda
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 Congressional Agenda Overview
 STEM Education and ESEA
 STEM Education and Immigration Reform
 STEM Education Proposals
 What’s Next?
 Questions
Congressional Agenda
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 STEM education-related activities to date
 Receipt of the President’s FY 2014 budget
proposal
 Appropriations process
 Elementary and Secondary Education Act
reauthorization
 Immigration Reform
 Introduction of smaller legislative proposals
STEM Education and ESEA: Senate
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 Strengthening America's Schools Act (S. 1094)
 Introduced by Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
 Retains significant federal role in education
 Flexibility in accountability requirements
 Includes STEM-specific program
 Supports Administration priorities
 Over 1,100 pages
 Every Child Ready for College or Career Act (S. 1101)
 Introduced by Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
 Eliminates accountability requirements
 Defends against “National School Board”
 About 200 pages
STEM Education and ESEA: Senate
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 Strengthening America's Schools Act (S 1094)
 Marked up June 11 and 12
 Collegial, but partisan
 Minimal discussion of STEM education
 Approved on 12-10 partisan vote
 Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Alexander want open
floor debate (meaning weeks) this year
 Could be on the floor late September, early October
STEM Education and ESEA: House
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 Student Success Act (HR 5)
 Introduced by Chairman John Kline (R-MN)
 Reduces federal role in K-12 education
 Removes accountability requirements
 Sends money to states and leaves decisions to states and districts
 Eliminates categorical programs
 Retains requirement for science assessment
 Democratic alternative
 Ranking Member George Miller’s (D-CA) substitute proposal
 Sole amendment from Democrats
 Builds on framework of current law
 Has a STEM-specific program
STEM Education and ESEA: House
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 Some comments from Committee members about
STEM education
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Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) supports STEM
and STEAM
Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) defended the Math Science
Partnerships
Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) feels it is important to
nurture the STEM teaching workforce
Representative Todd Rokita (R-IN) agreed that STEM is
important, but argued it is not the role of the federal
government to mandate “how we teach”
 Bill passed by a partisan vote of 23-16
STEM Education and ESEA: What’s Next?
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 Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) sent
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Republicans notice that ESEA would be on the floor
this summer
Rumors that ESEA could be on the House floor the
week of July 22
Senate could debate bill under an open amendment
process in late September/early October
Then what? Could a conference produce a reasonable
compromise?
Until Congress acts, waivers persist
STEM Education and Immigration Reform
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 Senate has approved S 744
 Argues for changes to H-1B visa program
 Through proposed changes to H-1B visa program, companies
can hire more high-skilled workers from overseas to fill
currently vacant positions
 The additional fees would go toward a national STEM
education fund
 Money to NSF for scholarships and specific programs
 Money to ED to strengthen STEM education
 Every state could apply for money to improve STEM education
 Other funds to Department of Labor, to support national
activities
STEM Education and Immigration Reform
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 House has started marking up (HR 2131)
 House wants to pursue regular order (smaller proposals to be
bundled together)
 Bill approved by Judiciary Committee does not include STEM
fund, which was considered a “tax” and complicated referrals
 What’s Next?
 House will continue to debate
 White House will continue to apply pressure
 Pundits suggest enactment of immigration reform unlikely
STEM Education Proposals
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 Legislative debates that will or could address
STEM education
 Budget
Process
 ESEA Reauthorization
 Immigration Reform
 America COMPETEs
 Workforce Investment Act
 Career and Technical Education
 Higher Education Act Reauthorization
 Cybersecurity Legislation
STEM Education Proposals
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 Comprehensive STEM bills that have been
introduced
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S.854 : STEM Education for the Global Economy Act of 2013
(Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR))
 Familiar proposals
 STEM Master Teacher Corps Act (S 358)
 Educating Tomorrow’s Engineers Act (S 1178/HR 2426)
 Stepping Up to STEM Act (HR 1089)
 Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program Act (S 1067/HR
1243)
 National STEM Education Tax Incentive for Teachers Act (HR
118)
STEM Education Proposals
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 Familiar proposals
 Computer Science Education Act (HR 2536)
 STEM 2 Act (HR 2334/S 1129)
 STEM Opportunities Act (HR 1358)
 STEM Education Opportunity Act (HR 1353)
 New proposals
 Veterans’ STEM Education Program (HR 1816)
 Transforming Education through Technology Act (HR 521)
What's Next?
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 This week
 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
Appropriations Committee action
 House Science Subcommittee on Space marking up NASA
Authorization
 Later this month
 ESEA on the floor of the House
 Reset on America COMPETEs reauthorization
 Continued progress on immigration reform
What's Next?
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 Later this year
 ESEA on Senate floor
 Workforce Investment Act
 Career and Technical Education
 Higher Education Act reauthorization
 Cybersecurity
 Appropriations
 Next year
 Elections and politics
Questions?
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 Questions?
 Triangle Coalition
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http://www.trianglecoalition.org/category/legislative-news
 Library of Congress
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http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php