One of Senator Kaufman’s priorities for STEM was encouraging diversity within the profession. In particular, he advocated for encouraging participation from women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas. In this "Dear Colleague" letter, Senators Ted Kaufman, Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Mark Begich (D-AK) encouraged their colleagues to support funding for research and extension grants in the fiscal year 2010 Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Kaufman and his colleagues explained how they believed that supporting and encouraging participation from within these underrepresented groups would ultimately help make the economy more competitive in the long-run.
