Victor Fazio: “the Fusion Energy Program is one of the most exciting and important programs at the Department of Energy. It is also…”

“the Fusion Energy Program is one of the most exciting and important programs at the Department of Energy. It is also very important to my State. California is host to the U.S. home team of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [ITER]. Several campuses of the University of California have fusion research programs. Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley Labs have programs and several California companies are heavily involved in fusion research and development. Unfortunately, for both the Nation and my State, at the same time the fusion program is making tremendous progress, it has suffered heavy cuts at the hands of this Congress. Last year, as many of my colleagues are aware, the fusion program was cut $130 million--33 percent--and the bill before us now cuts another $19 million from the program. Accompanying the cuts in last year's Energy and Water bill were instructions for the Department of Energy and the Fusion Energy Advisory Committee to restructure the fusion program. This Congressional guidance set off an extensive, time consuming, and, frankly, a painful redesign of the fusion program. It also put into place a thorough peer review process. Both the redesigned program and the ongoing peer review process have been widely praised. It is regrettable that the lack of adequate funding in this bill pits one aspect of the fusion program against another. I will work in conference to see that all of the needs of the fusion program are met.”