With absolutely no fanfare, President Obama yesterday signed legislation to reauthorize the America COMPETES Act. It was just one in a laundry list of measures—35 in all—he signed Jan. 4, according to a White House press release.
As I wrote in a blog item yesterday, the president has been quiet about Congress’ passage of the bill in December, which I find rather surprising. Sure, he’s got a lot on his plate. But Obama loves to talk about STEM education, and the legislation contains a lot of provisions on the the issue. (The new law also supports basic scientific research and efforts to foster innovation.)
For more about the legislation’s education components, its rocky road to passage, and potential challenges ahead in securing money for its many authorized programs, check out this blog post.
The Senate approved the bill last month by unanimous consent. In the House, the final plan was passed by a vote of 228-130, with most Republicans opposed.
White House science adviser John Holdren called passage of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization a “major milestone” in a December blog post.
Finally, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can read the new law for yourself.