Washington, D.C.- Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) joined with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other members of Congress, and representatives from the nation’s leading public and private research universities on Tuesday to announce the launch of ScienceWorksForUS , an initiative showcasing the investments in science made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was signed into law this past January.

READ MORE

As a result of this legislation, more that $21 billion is being invested in scientific research and development, ensuring that the American innovation pipeline is fully stocked for years of continued economic growth and scientific discovery. With the launch of this new project, Americans will be able to see how and where this money is being put to use around the country.

"I’m from Boston so I drop my R’s sometimes—you know, 'pahk the cah in hahvahd yahd'”  But there is one R that we should never drop--Research--the R in R&D," said Markey at the event. "Unfortunately, when it comes to important research areas like energy, America has essentially taken a generation long period of R&R. Federal energy research and development is less than half what it was in the late 1970's. In 1980, 10 percent of federal research dollars went to energy; today, it is just 2 percent."

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recommitted or country to science and technology. And the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation that the House passed this past June will extend this commitment by investing $200 billion through 2025 to unleash the clean energy revolution waiting to happen across America."