Congreswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson offered the following statement after the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request:
“Investments in education and research and development (R&D) are critical to fostering innovation and maintaining our nation’s competitive edge. That is why I am pleased to see that the President’s budget places a strong emphasis on these areas. Our federal agencies have a long history of investing in research and education programs that return huge payoffs to the American people both in economic growth and societal benefits. The President’s budget request calls for an overall increase of five percent in non-defense R&D relative to the FY 2012 level of funding. Given the challenging fiscal environment we are confronting, this increase is a welcome reaffirmation of the President’s commitment to investments that will advance our knowledge, create new industries and jobs, give our children the grounding in science and technology they will need to succeed in a competitive world economy, and improve the quality of life of our citizens. I am particularly pleased with the continued investments in innovative technologies that run the gamut from advanced manufacturing to clean energy. Innovation is the key to creating jobs and spurring economic growth. The investments in clean energy will also help us move towards energy independence. In addition, the President and I agree that education must be a top priority and this budget request reflects that priority in concrete terms. It will help ensure that our students have the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills required for the highly technical, high-paying jobs of the future.
While there are specific elements of the budget requests of the agencies under the jurisdiction of our Committee that are going to require close scrutiny, I am encouraged by the President’s recognition that R&D and education play key roles in creating the jobs and economic growth that are critically important to long-term deficit reduction. I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the weeks and months ahead to make sure that the appropriations passed by this Congress properly reflect the need to invest in our future.”
