The strength of our economy today lies partly in the commitment we have to scientific research. Investing in cutting-edge experiments at the Department of Energy's (DOE) facilities benefits both the public and private sector. In fact, each year over 15,000 scientists and students from academia, industry, and government use DOE sites to explore and discover major scientific breakthroughs.

Congressman Zach Wamp and other members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt supporting more money for DOE's science budget. Wamp, a strong advocate of science and research, urged House leaders to maintain the Department's vast legacy of scientific innovations.

"The Office of Science is at a crucial point right now. In the past decade, funding has been reduced by 13 percent. These reductions prevent the Office of Science from fully participating in new initiatives. Few people realize that DOE works heavily in the area of high speed computing and nanotechnology. We can't afford to be left behind in these critical fields of information.

Even more troubling is that talented scientists and students cannot test certain energy experiments at DOE sites because of limited budgets." Wamp said. "The Administration's budget provides $3.16 billion for DOE's Office of Science. This request recommends significant increases for future years in order to maintain our nation's position on basic science.

 Increased funding for the Office of Science is critical if we expect to lead the world in these developments. By providing this increase, we can attract and retain the best minds available, support construction and operation of modern facilities, and tremendously advance our society. From traditional physical sciences to the hottest innovations in life sciences, we need to invest our commitment to the NIH, NSF and DOE's Office of Science."