[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE IMPORTANCE OF AERONAUTICS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

                                 ______


                          HON. MARTIN R. HOKE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 1996

  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my appreciation to the 
distinguished chairman of the House Science Committee for his help in 
providing adequate funding levels in the area of aeronautics research 
and technology. In these times of severe budget constraints there was 
undoubtedly a strong temptation to slash spending in these critical 
programs, but the chairman demonstrated a real willingness to listen to 
and accept my vigorous defense of aeronautics at NASA, especially in 
high-speed research and advanced subsonics technology. I want to take 
this opportunity to thank the chairman for his commitment and 
foresight.
  Aeronautics research and technology helps promote a high-technology 
industry, one that is of critical importance to our national economy 
and international balance of trade. Even conservative estimates show 
that the aerospace industry has annual sales of over $60 billion and 
produces a positive balance of trade of $25 million. In Ohio alone, the 
aerospace industry is responsible for approximately 300,000 jobs and 
injects $13.5 billion into the State's economy.
  But it's not just a question of dollars and jobs. Aeronautics 
research and technology helps address safety, fuel efficiency, and 
environmental impact concerns. Anyone who has ever expressed concern 
about air travel can fully appreciate the importance of this scientific 
work. Research and development in the areas of aging aircraft safety, 
air traffic management, advanced technologies, and wing and engine 
icing are just some of the ways in which aeronautics directly touches 
our lives. Moreover, scientific work in aeronautics has also led to the 
development of thousands of spinoff technologies that we see every day. 
The NASA Lewis Research Center in my district in northeast Ohio, along 
with Wright Labs at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, are 
responsible for developing or refining many everyday conveniences such 
as medical equipment, orthopedic advances, microwave ovens, automotive 
brake discs, high-temperature paints, fire-resistant fabrics, and 
graphite composite sporting goods.
  Despite all of the industry's successes and contributions to our way 
of life, the future of America's preeminence in aeronautics is 
threatened. Our trading partners continue to pour billions into their 
domestic research and development programs, while our national effort, 
led by the extraordinary work of the men and women at NASA, has 
suffered from declining levels of investment. The President's budget 
request for NASA, in fact, recommends a cut of $4.9 billion over the 
next 4 years when compared to this year's funding. Although I take a 
back seat to no one when it comes to battling our budget deficit, I 
have serious reservations about making such deep cuts in an agency that 
is at the forefront of technology research and development on which our 
Nation's future competitiveness depends. The House Budget Resolution, 
by contrast, represents some $2 billion more than the President over 
the same time period by making responsible choices in establishing 
agency priorities, and targeting resources to where they will best be 
utilized.
  While there might be a temptation to cut aeronautics research and 
technology resources in the pursuit of short-term budget savings. I 
believe the long-run interests of our Nation require that an adequate 
level of investment be made in aeronautics. That is why it is so 
important that the funding levels recommended in the House Budget 
Resolution be honored.

                          ____________________