Second Attempt to Renew Science Spending Slashed

Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN)'s second attempt to renew the America COMPETES Act was crushed this week after it failed to win the supermajority requested in the case — despite the fact that the House members voted 261 to 148 in favor of it, according to Science Insider. "Although every Democrat supported the new version, it won the votes of only 15 Republicans. Gordon needed a dozen more converts to gain the necessary two-thirds majority," Science reports. According to Inside Higher Ed, Republican legislators who opposed the bill "said they supported its goals but continued to believe it would authorize too much federal spending and create too many new programs." The Boston Globe adds that House majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said he "planned to bring the bill back to the floor soon under normal rules requiring only a majority for passage."