WASHINGTON – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) offered an amendment during the consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 in the House Armed Services Committee. The amendment secured historic funding for research investment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The amendment had bipartisan support in the committee, and had the support of all the members of the Tri-Caucus that sit on the committee. Horsford issued the following statement:
“The research happening at HBCUs and MSIs is critical to our country’s national security and this funding would provide additional resources for stipends for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral scholars, recruitment and retention of faculty and graduate students, faculty professional development, construction, modernization, and retrofitting for research purposes, and more. In order to continue the crucial work for investing in our national security, we must ensure opportunity for all and make sure no potential is untapped. In this time of great power competition, our investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce will be critical.
“I am encouraged by the progress we have seen in this committee to broaden our research capacity to include all Americans. HBCUs and MSIs are one of the things we all have in common. From my home in Nevada, to Texas, Florida, and New York, Americans from all over the country attend these institutions. There are 107 HBCUs and 274 MSIs across the country, with students enrolled from every state, ranging from public 2-year community colleges to private schools, and schools with robust medical, law, and engineering post-secondary programs.
“I am proud to have the support of so many of my colleagues on the committee. This record $125 million, a first for the committee-passed bill sent to the House floor, is vital to our national security and will greatly benefit our nation’s HBCUs and MSIs.”
Original source can be found here.
