{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lipinski.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=91&itemid=3161", "Lipinski Praises Congressional Passage of Bill to Boost American Innovation and Competitiveness, Create Jobs", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Daniel Lipinski", "L000563", "lipinski.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) is praising the passage in the House and Senate of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, S. 3084, which authorizes and revises a wide-range of federal science, research, and technology development programs.\u00a0 These provisions apply to research programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the White House\u2019s Office of Science and Technology Policy, as well as government-sponsored research at universities and other institutions.\u00a0 The bill is designed to boost American innovation and competitiveness, resulting in the creation of American jobs.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tNotably, the bill authorizes the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program that teaches scientists how to turn their discoveries into entrepreneurial, job-producing businesses.\u00a0 Language in the bill directs the expansion of I-Corps to additional federal agencies and academic institutions, as well as through state and local governments which can better support their economic development goals.\u00a0 The new I-Corps authority also supports prototype or proof-of-concept development activities, which will better enable researchers to commercialize their innovations.\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI've been a strong supporter of the I-Corps program since it was first introduced by the NSF,\u201d Rep. Lipinski said.\u00a0 \u201cI have helped it grow and have seen how successful it has been.\u00a0 Programs like I-Corps get university and other federally-funded research translated more quickly into new products and new companies, creating American jobs and providing taxpayers a better return on their investment in science.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI-Corps has become the standard for entrepreneurship in the federal government, having trained over 1,000 of our country\u2019s best scientists,\u201d stated serial entrepreneur Steve Blank.\u00a0 \u201cFrom its inception, Congressman Lipinski was the visionary champion of I-Corps.\u00a0 The\u00a0American Innovation and Competitiveness Act extending I-Corps\u00a0is one of the major accomplishments of the 114th Congress.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tS. 3084 also includes language that is based on Lipinski\u2019s International Science and Technology Cooperation Act, HR 1156, which would establish a working group to coordinate international science and technology activities with both science agencies and the State Department.\u00a0 Specifically, the bill directs the National Science and Technology Council at the White House to coordinate a U.S. strategy for international science and technology cooperation, which will help address key global challenges, including public health, national security, energy, and environmental matters.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cBy coordinating with international partners on scientific issues, we strengthen the U.S. scientific enterprise and promote the free exchange of ideas in other nations,\u201d Lipinski stated.\u00a0 \u201cWhile many federal agencies are engaged with international partners on science and technology projects, there is a need to coordinate these projects across our government network and to identify opportunities for additional beneficial collaborations.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tThe American Innovation and Competitiveness Act also includes legislation led by Lipinski that would expand and improve cyber security and related research programs at the NSF and NIST.\u00a0 It expands requirements for cyber-related research to better counter computer-based threats to American voting systems, a response to concerns about foreign influence and tampering in the 2016 elections.\u00a0 The bill also directs NIST to establish best practices for the protection of information systems from cyber intrusion and to raise public awareness about cyber threats.\r\n\r\n\tIn addition, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act makes improvements to the prize competition authority which Rep. Lipinski helped establish in 2010 via his bill in the GENIUS Act.\u00a0 The prize competition authority enables the federal government to sponsor innovation competitions to seek public solutions to challenges such as cyber security, robotics, and drug overdose treatment, among countless other fields.\u00a0 To date, over 700 competitions have been sponsored by federal agencies under this authority\r\n\r\n\tThe bill also expands a range of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs, including mentoring, apprenticeships, and support for informal STEM education opportunities.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\u201cAs co-chair of the House STEM Education Caucus, I am pleased to see the progress that this bill makes in improving and expanding federal STEM education programs,\u201d said Lipinski.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve worked hard to improve STEM education, as America\u2019s economic future relies on a workforce well-educated in math, science, and engineering.\u00a0 Informal science education \u2013 investing in museums such as the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and other programs and institutions that excite children about a possible future in engineering and science fields \u2013 is something I\u2019ve put a high priority on.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tFinally, the bill includes two other provisions that Congressman Lipinski has worked on to alleviate burdens or restrictions on federally funded scientific enterprises.\u00a0 It includes provisions that reinforce the Office of Management and Budget\u2019s (OMB) new and improved guidance on scientific conferences to remove unnecessary and harmful barriers to scientific collaboration created in the wake of a General Services Administration\u00a0(GSA) scandal in 2012.\u00a0 These restrictions had impeded scientists from attending conferences to present their work and learn more about the work of their peers.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe bill also increases the threshold for federally-funded science programs at universities and other institutions for equipment procurement.\u00a0 Currently, most research institutions only have to look for multiple bids on research equipment if that equipment costs over $10,000, but the OMB had reduced this to $3000 without explanation.\u00a0 The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act sets the threshold to $10,000 and provides greater flexibility for research institutions to purchase critical equipment without multiple bids.\r\n\r\n\tOn the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Lipinski is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology, and also sits on the Subcommittee on Energy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://lipinski.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=91&itemid=3161"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.389149110764265, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}