SAN JOSE, CA – The Semiconductor Industry Association today applauded House passage of the conference report to H.R. 2272, the “America Competes Act,” comprehensive innovation legislation championed by a broad, bipartisan group in Congress.

“Leadership in science and technology is fundamental to U.S. economic and national security,” said SIA chairman Richard Templeton. “Increased support for basic research and math and science education are the keys to maintaining U.S. leadership. Today’s action by the House demonstrates that Congress understands that connection.”

Templeton is president and CEO of Texas Instruments.

House approval of the conference report to H.R. 2272, following rapidly on the heels of the agreement between House and Senate conferees, is the next-to-last step in sending the bill to the president’s desk. Senate action is expected in early September, at the latest, but possibly as early as tomorrow.

The SIA urged Congress to fulfill the promise of this legislation by completing action on the relevant appropriations bills that will significantly increase funding for physical science and engineering research at the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science in the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

“The America Competes Act sets the framework for the appropriations through the next several years. We are pleased with the actions of House and Senate appropriators in the FY 2008 bills, and look forward to working with Congress to ensure these critical appropriations bills make it over the finish line this year,” said SIA president George Scalise, in a statement.

While applauding the adoption of this strategic legislation, the SIA also urged Congress to act this year on the unfinished components of the innovation agenda set forward by bipartisan leaders, including reforming U.S. green card and H-1B visa policies to attract and retain more highly educated foreign professionals and making permanent a strengthened R&D tax credit - all shared recommendations of the Gathering Storm report, the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative and the Democratic Innovation Agenda.

“We recognize and applaud all the effort and leadership that has gone into passage of H.R. 2272,” said Scalise. “It is a major step forward for U.S. competitiveness. We also recognize, however, that there is more work to do and we urge Congress to enact legislation this year to attract the best scientists and engineers from around the world and make the tax climate for private-sector research investments competitive with the rest of the world,” Scalise said.