WASHINGTON – Grassley today introduced several amendments to the “America Competes Act” that recognize the need to provide challenging and rewarding educational experiences to America’s brightest students.
“Federal education policy started with an urgency to support and encourage students to excel in fields that were considered to be of major importance to national security during the Cold War,” Grassley said. “We don’t have communism to fight or a Sputnik to follow, but we are competing in a global economy. In order for America to keep its competitive edge, we must encourage and help all students reach their full potential.”
Grassley’s first amendment would increase the fee employers pay for H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers and provide the additional money to the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. The amendment would charge a fee to employers who are investing in talent from abroad and use it to invest in talent for the future at home. The amendment is part of Grassley’s work to improve the H-1B visa program. Earlier this month Grassley, along with Senator Dick Durbin, introduced legislation to overhaul the H-1B and L-1 visa programs to give priority to American workers and crack down on unscrupulous employers who deprive qualified Americans of high-skill jobs.
The second amendment would expand a provision already inthe America Competes Act. Currently the bill creates new summer institutes for teachers working with the National Laboratories. Grassley’s amendment would expand these summer institutes for high ability learners in middle or high school.
The third amendment also expands on a grant program that encourages schools to expand offerings of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Grassley’s amendment would prioritize these grants for schools that allow advanced students to take AP courses earlier than traditionally offered if they are prepared for such work.
Grassley has been the leading advocate for talented and gifted children in the U.S. Congress and has worked to ensure that they have access to the education needed to reach their full potential. Grassley advanced legislation that would expand the availability of gifted education services and he was successful in expanding the benefits available for gifted students through the No Child Left Behind Act.
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