Political Quotes

“This appropriations bill would underfund the Office of Science by $272 million below the President's request for the next fiscal year. Investments in the DOE Office of Science have long supported American innovation and discovery science. It is unwise and, in fact, impossible to ignore the value of our national labs. They have helped us answer fundamental questions about how our universe works, supported breakthroughs in medicine and developments in industry that drive our economy. The Office of Science is not only an important investment in our future, it is a valuable investment in our economy. Our national labs and the major user facilities housed at those labs are some of the greatest tools ever created for researchers and industry. The direct economic benefit of Argonne and Fermilab in Illinois alone is estimated to be more than $1.3 billion annually. The indirect benefits of the technologies that they deliver is larger. Those who seek to underfund and eliminate Federal programs often say that the private sector can do it better, but when it comes to fundamental scientific research, that is simply not the case. The Office of Science is responsible for building and maintaining research facilities which many private companies rely on but are too big for any single business or university to develop. These user facilities, such as the advanced photon source at Argonne National Laboratory, are a critical research tool to academics and industry alike.…”