Washington, D.C.  – Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) will join Members of the House to conference with the Senate and decide on the final legislation for the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act of 2022. 

“Ensuring that America can reach its full potential and lead the world in solving the problems of the 21st century requires equitably investing in all of our people – including Black and brown communities that have been excluded from jobs and opportunities to shape the industries of the future,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). “We need to drastically scale up support for our research infrastructure, STEM education pipelines, and the brilliance of our youth who rely on us for resources, encouragement, and care. There is no question that while other nations have pulled ahead through innovation, discovery, and investments in key areas, America has unacceptably fallen behind. The House-passed America COMPETES Act takes many important steps to rectify that – from the creation of regional technology and clean energy hubs in marginalized communities, to a renewed focus on mission-driven science to deal with challenges like the climate crisis. I am very proud to have made a number of contributions to the final House version of the bill, including provisions that strengthen STEM equity at the K-12 level and promote worker ownership in tech. I also strongly support provisions in the House-passed version of the bill to protect against discrimination and hate. Our vision for innovation should be rooted in equity, global cooperation, and our shared goals in the face of a climate catastrophe. I’m proud to now join my colleagues for this bicameral process to ensure we advance an equitable bill for people around the world for President Biden to sign into law.” 

The America COMPETES Act passed in the House on February 4th and in the Senate, with changes, on March 28th. The conference committee for the America COMPETES Act will begin working to resolve differences in order to advance one agreed upon bill for President Biden to sign into law. 

In the House Rep. Bowman offered the following two amendments to the act: 

• Supporting STEM Programming in Museums and Nonprofits

• Studying the Impact of Sanctions on Innovation and Climate Justice

In addition, Congressman Bowman offered several amendments on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology that were included in the COMPETES Act, including provisions that:

• Create a Chief Diversity Officer position at the National Science Foundation and bring a diversity lens to NSF’s K-12 portfolio, based on Congressman Bowman’s Research Excellence through STEM Inclusion Act;

• Support workforce development and STEM equity in microelectronics research;

• Prioritize worker ownership and community wealth building in the design of regional technology and clean energy hubs 

Congressman Jamaal Bowman is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy in the 117th Congress. In addition, Congressman Bowman serves as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor. As a former educator, Congressman Bowman uses his platform in Congress to increase equity, access, and diversity in our education system.

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