Jeff Bingaman: “I want to speak very briefly in opposition to the amendment offered by the Senator from Kansas, Senator Brownback, as I…”

“I want to speak very briefly in opposition to the amendment offered by the Senator from Kansas, Senator Brownback, as I understand it. That amendment, if it were adopted, would essentially prohibit the Advanced Technology Program, which is administered through the Department of Commerce, from allowing participation of large companies. Let me give you my own understanding of how the Advanced Technology Program works. I think it has been an extremely useful program. It has helped to keep the United States at the forefront of technology development and high-technology industry development in the world, and, to a significant degree, our leadership in that arena, in that area of high technology, is the reason why we enjoy the strong economy we enjoy today. So I believe the Advanced Technology Program is useful. It has been a great help to many companies. It has been a great help in helping us, as a country, create jobs in the industries of the future. In order for that program to succeed, though, we need to be sure that taxpayer funds are provided, and they are only a very small portion of the total funds that go into these technology development activities, but they are a catalyst. They bring together companies. They bring together research institutions to do this important work.”