Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) today urged House leaders to include funding for key science programs in the upcoming supplemental appropriations package. In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08), GOP Leader Boehner (R-OH-08), Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI-07), and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA-41), Biggert, along with House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN-06) and 29 other members of the House, requested additional resources for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, which funds national laboratories like Argonne and Fermi in Illinois. “The NSF and the Office of Science support vital research at places like the University of Chicago, Fermi, and Argonne National Labs – research that is crucial to America’s long-term competitiveness,” said Biggert, a senior member of the House Science and Technology Committee. “And unfortunately, both agencies faced drastic cuts in their fiscal year 2008 appropriations. If we don’t restore this funding, we will continue to lose our nation’s top researchers to our competitors in Europe and Asia. And we will continue to send the wrong message to students who would otherwise become the next generation of scientists and engineers.” The letter is the latest move by Biggert in a months-long crusade to restore funding to the labs. Since late December, she has worked with the DOE and officials from Fermi and Argonne; she has written letters to the President, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and House Appropriators; and she has testified before the House Budget Committee in support of additional funds for American research and development programs. The full text of the letter and a list of cosigners follows:
April 17, 2008
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Republican Leader Boehner, Chairman Obey, and Ranking Member Lewis: We are writing in support of including funding in the FY2008 supplemental appropriations bill for federal research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education that will help stimulate good jobs and economic growth and protect U.S. competitiveness. We empathize with the desire of many of our colleagues and the Administration to keep the supplemental bill focused on spending for the military. However, should the House choose to include additional funding, the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation sorely need an infusion of funds in FY2008 to prevent the permanent loss of hundreds of the nation’s best scientists and engineers; leverage past U.S. investments in one-of-a-kind research facilities; restart research critical to American innovation and competitiveness; continue to educate the next generation of scientific talent; and restore our international credibility and commitment to the international fusion experiment, ITER. With supplemental funding, the DOE Office of Science would not have to furlough or lay off over 550 scientists, engineers, and technical and administrative support staff at our national laboratories, leading to the permanent loss of this expertise. While the continued employment of these scientists will stimulate the economy in the short-term, their research will contribute greatly to America’s long-term economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation. Supplemental funding also will maximize the run-time of user facilities at our national laboratories, making the most of past U.S. investments in unique facilities that are critical to innovation in industry and academia, and preventing U.S. companies from having to conduct their research at overseas facilities with similar capabilities. It will renew our commitment to international scientific projects like ITER and will help the U.S. retain its leadership in a variety of energy fields, including high energy physics. At NSF, supplemental funding would allow awards to be made for hundreds of “excellent”-rated proposals which have otherwise gone unfunded. These research grants would support hundreds of graduate students, undergraduates, senior personnel and post-doctorates. In addition, this funding would permit NSF to support smaller schools’ instrumentation, graduate research fellowships and support the training of science, technology, engineering, and math teachers. Without these funds, we will leave on the table innovative ideas that could solve many of our nation’s pressing problems. In addition, one of the most critical needs within NSF is additional funding for teacher training through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program and the Math and Science Partnership program. Last year, Congress revamped the Noyce program and significantly boosted authorization levels for MSP to ensure that existing and new K-12 STEM teachers across the country have strong content knowledge and effective teaching skills. Finally, supplemental funding for these agencies will send a message to young Americans pursuing – or thinking of pursing – degrees and careers in science, math, and technology that their nation recognizes how invaluable their knowledge and expertise are to the future security and competitiveness of our nation. We have attached a copy of a letter recently sent to President Bush by a broad coalition of companies, academic institutions, and research interests expressing support for the inclusion of this urgently needed funding. The 244 signatures on this letter clearly demonstrate the real concern that exists related to investments in research and STEM education. We sincerely appreciate your consideration of this request, which is consistent with the bipartisan America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69), the goals of the Democratic Innovation Agenda and the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative. We recognize that you are preparing a wartime supplemental, and that you will face intense pressure to fund competing priorities. However, we would not be making this request if we did not believe the situation at our nation’s laboratories and research universities and the need to improve STEM education warranted immediate attention and supplemental resources. Sincerely, Judy Biggert (R-IL), Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ralph Hall (R-TX), David Wu (D-OR), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Brian Baird (D-WA), Bob Inglis (R-SC), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Bill Foster (D-IL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Nick Lampson (D-TX), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Mark Udall (D-CO), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike Rogers (R-MI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Robert Wittman (R-VA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), George Miller (D-CA), Heather Wilson (R-NM), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Brad Miller (D-NC), and Thomas Petri (R-WI).
A copy of the enclosure that accompanied this letter can be found below:
April 16, 2008 The Honorable George W. Bush United States President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: As leaders of America’s business, academic and research communities, we are deeply concerned about the state of our country’s competitive position in the world. Though there are many issues relevant to protecting our interests in the global marketplace, none is more pressing than the need for additional funding for scientific research and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. As you work with Congress on a supplemental appropriations request for the current fiscal year, we ask that you remain open to the inclusion of funding for scientific research and STEM education in any legislation presented to you for signature. Such action will allow for the fulfillment of the commitments made in your American Competitiveness Initiative and in the America COMPETES Act signed into law last summer. As our country struggles to stabilize our economy and build for the future, an immediate commitment to research and education funding is both timely and relevant. This is an urgent and necessary step that will enhance our country’s economic strength, our competitiveness and allow for continued innovation. Sincerely, ACE Clearwater Enterprises AeA (American Electronics Association) ASHRAE ASME ASTRA, The Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America Academy of Science of St. Louis Accenture Accudata Technologies Action Manufacturing Company The Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc. Advanced Digital Manufacturing LLC Agilent Technologies Allied Mineral Products, Inc. Altera Corporation Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies Alvaka Networks American Association of Physics Teachers American Association of Physicists in Medicine American Chemical Society The American Council of Engineering Companies American Council of Engineering Companies of Kansas American Council on International Personnel American Mathematical Society American Physical Society American Society of Plant Biologists American Statistical Association Apple, Inc. Applied Materials, Inc. Arizona State University ASSET InterTech, Inc. Associated Industries of Massachusetts Association for Science Teacher Education Association of American Universities Automation Products Group Inc. Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce Battelle The Boeing Company Brown University Business-Higher Education Forum Business Roundtable Cadence Design Systems, Inc. California Manufacturing Technology Consulting Carnegie Learning, Inc. Carnegie Mellon University Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) CFO Advisory Services, LP The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City CollinsConsults Compete America Computing Research Association Computing Technology Industry Association Cornell University Council on Competitiveness Delphi Corporation The Dow Chemical Company Duke University Eastman Chemical Company Eaton Corporation Education Development Center, Inc. The Education Partnership of Rhode Island EDS E.R. Wagner Manufacturing Company Endwave Corporation Entomological Foundation, Inc The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Florida State University Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. General Atomics The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Harvard University Hewlett-Packard Company IBM Corporation IEEE-USA The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) IS Squared, Inc. Illinois Manufacturers' Association Illinois Technology Association Indiana University Indyme Solutions, Inc. Infineon Technologies North America Corporation Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) Information Technology Industry Council Inovise Medical Intel Corporation Intelligent Optical Systems Inc. International Technology Education Association Intersil Corporation Iovation, Inc. Iowa Business Council JETS Kansas Bioscience Authority Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute Kansas State University Knowledge Alliance Koller Enterprises, Inc. Laurel Electronics Inc. Lawrence, Kansas Chamber of Commerce Learning.com LSI Corporation Lourdes College Maryland Science Center Mass Insight Massachusetts Institute of Technology Materials Research Society Math for America Mathematical Association of America Matheson TriGas The McGraw-Hill Companies Mercury Computer Systems Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Microsoft Corporation Miles Fiberglass & Composites Inc. Molded Fiber Glass North Carolina Moridge Manufacturing Company Motorola NASULGC, A Public University Association Nanoventions National Association of Biology Teachers National Association of Manufacturers National Association of Marine Labs National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC) National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Defense Industrial Association The National GEM Consortium National Science Teachers Association Nevada Mathematics Council New Mexico State University New York University Northern Illinois University Northwestern University NXP Semiconductors USA Inc The Ohio State University Ohio Technology Education Association Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition Omega Design Corporation OMRON Scientific Technologies Inc. Online Strategic Systems Corporation Optical Society of America Optoelectronics Industry Development Association Oracle Pariveda Solutions, Inc. PASCO Scientific Penn State University Perlick Corp Photronics, Inc. Praxair, Inc. Precision Engine Controls Corporation Princeton University Procter & Gamble Project Exploration Public Broadcasting Service Public School Forums of North Carolina Purdue University Qualcomm R.B. Zack & Associates, Inc. RAE Systems Red Bud Industries, Inc. Red Hat Reed Elsevier, Inc. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reside, LLC Roaring Spring Blank Book Co. Rockwell Automation The Refractories Institute Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey SAE International SAS Salesforce.com The Science Coalition Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International Semiconductor Industry Association Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Siemens Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics The Society for Research in Child Development Software & Information Industry Association Spansion, Inc. Spectral Response, Inc. SPIE - The International Society for Optics and Photonics St. Jude Medical Inc Special-Lite, Inc. Stanford University State Farm Insurance Companies The State University of New York Stony Brook University SUMCO Phoenix Corporation Symantec Corporation Tango Networks Teachers Clearinghouse for Science and Society Education, Inc. Technology CEO Council Technology Is Elementary Tech-X Corporation Telect Inc. Texas Instruments Texas State University TietoEnator Majiq Inc. Tirraappendi, Inc. Triangle Coalition Science and Technology Education TriQuint Semiconductor Unisys Corporation University at Buffalo University of Arkansas University of California University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University of Dayton University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Iowa University of Kansas University of Maryland University of Michigan The University of Minnesota University of Missouri University of Nebraska University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Southern California University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin-Madison U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vanderbilt University Verigy Vermeer Corporation Vernier Software & Technology Williams-Pyro, Inc. Xantrex Corporation Xerox Corporation Yale University Zendex Corporation
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