May 19, 2010
To Members of the House of Representatives:
Vote YES on H.R. 5325, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
On behalf of the members of Business Roundtable, chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 12 million employees, I urge you to protect American jobs and preserve U.S. economic and technological leadership by voting YES on H.R. 5325, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010.
The reauthorization of COMPETES deserves broad-based, bipartisan support today, just as the original COMPETES legislation was enacted with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2007. Investments in science and education lead to new industries, create high-wage jobs and produce the long-term, stable economic growth essential to reducing budget deficits.
Other nations are rapidly building greater research capacity and making strategic investments in science, technology and education to advance their international competitiveness. Investing in innovation has been a bipartisan priority in Congress, and two successive Administrations from opposite parties have supported initiatives to strengthen it. We must not cede U.S. leadership in science and technology to our competitors. Our future prosperity depends on it.
Sincerely,
John J. Castellani