Congress approved on Thursday a bill authorizing more spending on physical-sciences research at universities and on science education. Its sponsors say the bill would produce a more scientifically literate work force that could help the United States compete economically with rising powers like China and India.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the measure, HR 2272, by 367 to 57. Although the sponsors had said that the bill enjoyed broad, bipartisan support, Republicans cast all but one of the 57 no votes. The lone Democratic dissenter was Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who is a candidate for president.
The Senate passed the measure unanimously, without a roll-call vote. —Jeffrey Brainard
