As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I am a strong advocate of encouraging more students to pursue studies in math, science, technology and critical foreign languages. The demand for talented persons in these areas far exceeds the supply in the United States. The likelihood of finding a job in these high need areas after college is almost guaranteed, yet we find ourselves still lagging behind other countries in producing these graduates. Science and mathematics competency is increasingly essential to this country, for the growing demands of the global economy and for national security and the defense of our homeland.
In addition, I have long championed important programs which strengthen and enhance the physical sciences, nanotechnology, and information technology. I also encourage the broadening of support for researchers and students involved with scientific enterprise. Specifically, I support the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ESPCoR). The EPSCoR program was established by NSF to better disburse grants for scientific research and development. ESPCoR targets institutions in states presently underfunded by NSF, including Kansas. Rest assured, I will continue to look for ways to improve American competitiveness.
