Jay Rockefeller: “I want to comment on an important aspect of the debates that took place to develop the legislation approved today, and…”

“I want to comment on an important aspect of the debates that took place to develop the legislation approved today, and which I believe is directly related to the kind of military security, growing economy, and strong job base that Americans should be able to count on. I am referring to the work of the programs within the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and other parts of the Federal Government that serve as partners with industry to spur advances in technology. My belief in these programs is very basic. Knowing what the investment in technology that our foreign competitors are making and the role that technology plays in expanding industries and high-wage jobs in our own country, I view these programs as an essential key to the economic security that West Virginians and the rest of the American people should expect Congress to work toward. For awhile, it appeared that this appropriations package would be used to cripple some of the most important technology programs in our public arsenal. But thanks to the efforts of many of my colleagues, and I am privileged to work closely with a group of them, we were fairly successful in reminding the Senate that a retreat from technology investments is a dangerous course in military and economic terms.”