Mr. McCaul of Texas- Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support this bill and thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall, a fellow Texan, for their hard work and leadership on this issue.

   I think we can all agree on the importance of ensuring America is competitive in science and engineering. As the National Academy of Sciences report ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' warned, this country is in danger of losing its leadership role in these fields.

   Last year I sponsored the Research For Competitiveness Act to address this issue. Unfortunately, that legislation did not come to the floor of the House after being passed by the Science Committee. However, I am pleased in this Congress in a bipartisan fashion to note that H.R. 363 incorporates sections from last year's bill that establish early-career grants for young scientists and engineers. These grants will encourage scientists and engineers in the early stages of their academic careers to establish innovative lines of research. This approach continues the successful model of partnership between the Federal Government and America's universities.

   As you know, many of the technologies we enjoy today, such as breakthroughs that enabled e-commerce to become a reality in the 1990s, are based on research initially conducted at universities like the University of Texas in my hometown of Austin.

   When we fund programs such as these, we are investing in minds and helping create the next generation of America's high-tech workforce. Therefore, I strongly support this legislation and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.