Jerry Brown: “I have no problems whatsoever with the research being done at Barboursville. As far as I know, it is excellent research…”

“I have no problems whatsoever with the research being done at Barboursville. As far as I know, it is excellent research and it deserves to be continued. I listened with great interest to the remarks of the chairman of the subcommittee about how we should not cut energy research, despite the fact that this bill cuts it substantially. As a matter of fact, the budget of the Republican majority provides, if they cannot abolish the Department of Energy, which is doing this research, to cut all of its energy R&D by 20 percent. I think this is short-sighted. My problem is not with the energy research. If anything, I would probably increase it. But the fact is I have spent a number of years trying to develop a habit in this House of not making site-specific designations for energy or any other research and development money, but this flies in the fact of what I have been trying to accomplish for a number of years. At the same time that this bill specifically designates a certain amount of money for this facility, other similar energy technology centers are undergoing vast reorganizations and are being cut specifically. There will be, for example, 90 jobs cut at the Pittsburgh and Morgantown Energy Technology Centers. They are not being protected by this bill, as the language with regard to Barboursville would protect that facility. I think that is wrong.”