Dick Chrysler: “I rise in support of the Klug amendment to privatize the Department of Energy laboratories. Congressman Klug's amendment…”

“I rise in support of the Klug amendment to privatize the Department of Energy laboratories. Congressman Klug's amendment would privatize the DOE laboratories, encouraging private sector innovation and competitiveness, much like we did in the dismantling of the Department of Commerce act, H.R. 1756. By privatizing the laboratory functions of the DOE, we will encourage these newly privatized entities to produce and sell their services more widely. By removing the nonessential research and development functions and the means of production from the Federal Government labs, we will now produce on the basis of demand, and in turn spin off other industries, creating jobs and providing increased revenues for the Nation. Speaking from firsthand experience, the private sector entities have always proved to be more efficient and accountable, and if they are not, they would go out of business. Federal programs, on the other hand, such as the DOE labs, are simply not held to the degree of accountability that private sector labs are. Instead of going out of business, as would be the case in the private sector, Congress merely passes the cost on to the taxpayers.”