STEM Hatch-Klobuchar-Coons Amendment

The Honorable Orrin Hatch
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Chris Coons
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Hatch, Senator Klobuchar, and Senator Coons:

The nation’s governors appreciate your leadership to accelerate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and job training for Americans as part of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). The Hatch-Klobuchar-Coons Amendment is strongly supported by the nation’s governors.

Inclusion of a robust STEM Education Fund, as outlined in your amendment, is essential to create and foster a sustainable pipeline of future workers for high-wage, high-demand STEM fields. As governors work to fuel economic growth, the Fund created by this amendment will serve as a powerful tool for them to align education, economic development, workforce training, higher education, and industry to better serve students and address the shortage of STEM workers. The Hatch-Klobuchar-Coons amendment also provides critical support for workforce training, including additional support for veterans and their spouses.

Notably, the Hatch-Klobuchar-Coons amendment would engage and empower state leaders to accelerate state best practices, scale reforms and develop partnerships, while simultaneously spurring innovation. States, not the federal government, would retain the authority to design innovation programs to strengthen STEM education and workforce training. Moreover, every state and territory would receive funding by formula to ensure all states – big or small, urban or rural – could support students and job seekers in the STEM fields.

The National Governors Association (NGA) urges all members of the Senate Judiciary to vote in favor of the Hatch-Klobuchar-Coons (Hatch 9) amendment. If you need additional information, please feel free to contact with NGA’s Education and Workforce Committee Director, Joan E. Wodiskaor 202-624-5300.

Thank you for your leadership,

Dan Crippen