Martin Sabo: “I believe we have spent something like $5.5 billion on R&D on supercomputing through DOD and the NSF since 1991 to make…”

“I believe we have spent something like $5.5 billion on R&D on supercomputing through DOD and the NSF since 1991 to make sure that we retain our technological edge in this country. It is a very small industry, very key to our economy, very key to our national defense. We are told, I heard here a while ago, that, unless we ignore dumping in this case, that is going to destroy the American standard of living. That sort of leaves me confused. It seems to me that we should make sure on this very crucial, small industry that the Japanese do not dump a product into our markets, particularly when it is taxpayer dollars going to purchase it. It seems to me we should continue on the policy of R&D to make sure we retain our national edge. I hear all of these things, how we should be afraid of Japanese retaliation. The reality is the history of competition in Europe is the U.S. products win. We have not won in Japan. In 1995, the public supercomputer procurement market share in Japan: United States, 8 percent; Japanese, 92 percent. Do you think that is because of quality and cost and price? No; it is not. Our products are the best and the best price.”