Today, Congressman Bart Gordon was re-elected as Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology for the 111th Congress.
“I am honored and excited to continue chairing the Science and Technology Committee. We made substantial progress during the 110th Congress, and many of the Committee’s efforts will benefit Tennessee and the rest of the country,” said Congressman Gordon. “The America COMPETES Act, for example, was signed into law in 2007. This legislation will increase our nation’s investment in research and development and help ensure that America’s workforce is competitive in the 21st Century.”
In addition to the COMPETES Act, the Science and Technology Committee passed 44 other bipartisan bills, 43 of which received unanimous support. Today, 27 of those bills are public law.
“But more work needs to be done, especially in light of our country’s current economic problems,” added Gordon. “The major challenges facing our country will be solved by American innovation in the science and technology fields. It’s more important than ever that we grow new sectors in these areas of our economy.”
When Gordon became Chairman in 2007, he was the first Tennessee member to head a full committee in more than 30 years. After he became Chairman, he set out to make the Science and Technology Committee “the committee of good ideas and consensus.”
“I believe that neither party has a monopoly on good ideas,” said Gordon. “I appreciate the cooperation we had in the last Congress and will continue to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner over the next two years.”