On behalf of the members of the Task Force on American Innovation, an alliance of America’s most innovative companies, leading research universities, and largest scientific societies, we are writing to express our strong concern with funding levels contained in the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST)) Act (H.R. 4186), recently voted out of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. The current version of the FIRST Act does not authorize adequate levels of investment in scientific research that are needed to close the nation’s innovation deficit and sustain our global leadership position in science and innovation.

The T ask Force is a strong advocate of strong investments in key federal agencies because of the critical importance of such investments to long – term economic growth and national prosperity. We have often expressed concern about the nation’s fiscal challenges and made clear that the research funded by the federal government is essential to the economic growth we need to help address those challenges. The Task Force is particularly concerned by the funding levels included in the FIRST Act for the National Science Foundation (NNSF)) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NNIST). Under this legislation, funding for these agencies would not keep up with inflation or provide the investment in scientific research that this country needs.

The Task Force on American Innovation strongly supported the 2007 COMPETES Act, its reauthorization in 2010, and Rising Above the Gathering Storm, the National Academies report that inspired the legislation. That is why the Task Force joined business and academic leaders and numerous other organizations in endorsing the Guiding Principles for the America COMPETES Act Reauthorization delivered to Capitol Hill in July of 2013. The FIRST Act, as currently written, falls short of these principles, and of the COMPETES Act itself.

The FIRST Act contains a number of other provisions that many Task Force members believe contradict or are inconsistent with the Guiding Principles referenced above. This letter focuses on research funding because that is our primary mission. We are not taking a specific collective position on other portions of the bill.