Joe Baca: “I support H. Con. Res. 27, Honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Its Employees for 100…”

“I support H. Con. Res. 27, Honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Its Employees for 100 Years of Service. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is our Nation's oldest Federal laboratory, with a mission that dates back to the founding of our Republic. NIST employs about 3,300 people, with some of our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including Nobel Prize winners. In the past 100 years, NIST has helped to maintain United States technology at the cutting edge, while also making contributions to our economy and international competitiveness. Many advances can be traced to the assistance of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including satellite systems, communication and transportation networks, image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'', smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for machine tools, atomic clocks, X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling miscroscopy, pollution control technology, high-speed dental drills, laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy. I am concerned, however, that the President's proposed budget may cut funding for some NIST programs, including the Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.”