US Innovation and Competitiveness Act Stalls Out In Senate

Late Thursday night, Senate negotiations on the US Innovation and Competitiveness Act, also known as the Endless Frontier Act, stalled over partisan disagreements on how to manage the nearly 500 amendments that were filed to the bill. The legislation reauthorizes the National Science Foundation with a significantly higher authorization level than in past years, and would also create a new technology directorate at the research agency. However, in recent weeks several other bills were attached to the legislation that would have created massive reporting and administrative burden hurdles for universities engaging in international collaborations. Notably, several amendments targeted China, Chinese nationals, and collaborations with China, which created a partisan divide in negotiations over the previously bipartisan effort. Negotiations will begin again on June 8 when the Senate will attempt another vote to pass the legislation.