Vernon Ehlers: “I rise in support of H.R. 1860, the Small Business Technology Transfer Program Reauthorization Act of 2001.…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 1860, the Small Business Technology Transfer Program Reauthorization Act of 2001. Approximately 5 years ago, I was chartered by then-Speaker Gingrich and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, to prepare a report on updating the science policy of our Nation and outline where we should be heading. In that report, we made a major statement on several issues; one of which was to bridge the so-called valley of death between basic research and applied research so that we could have more ideas flowing out of basic research into applied research and eventually into product development. The program we are talking about here today is a program which can help bridge that valley. We are recommending, based on the success of this program, that it be reauthorized and, in fact, improved. Investment in technology, research, and development and this scientific enterprise is a key component of sustaining the economic growth of the past decade, much of which is based on developments in science and technology.”