[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 30, 1996

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, as the Chair of the Technology 
Subcommittee of the House Science Committee, I am responsible for the 
technology and competitiveness policy of the United States. A top 
priority of mine, in that role, is to foster the breakthrough of new 
technologies and to encourage innovation development, thereby enhancing 
our Nation's ability to compete in the global marketplace.
  It is clear to me that one of the wisest investments the Government 
can make is our Federal investment in university research and 
education. It has been clearly demonstrated through the years that a 
small investment in the basic research conducted at our Nation's 
universities reaps large rewards in technological discovery. As we move 
toward a balanced budget--and we must continue to do so to provide 
vigorous economic prosperity for our children--we must also maintain 
our Nation's leadership in basic research and technology preeminence.
  A number of chief executive officers of some of the most prominent 
U.S. corporations recently sent as open letter to President Clinton 
echoing these sentiments. This simple letter speaks volumes about the 
importance of university research and development. I am submitting 
their letter into the Record and I ask all of my colleagues to read it, 
so that we can give our Nation's research and development enterprise 
the priority it deserves as we consider its funding in future 
Congresses.

                  An Open Letter to President Clinton

       Dear Mr. President, as you achieve the fundamentally 
     important goal of balancing the federal budget, we 
     respectfully urge you to sustain the government investment in 
     university research and education. We believe these goals are 
     closely related.
       Mr. President, as you well know, America's leadership 
     position in an ever-increasing globally competitive economy 
     has its basis in our technological prowess. Our universities, 
     and the research programs pursued therein, have played a 
     pivotal role in continually advancing our technical 
     knowledge. Equally important, they have produced the very 
     scientists and engineers that allow American industry to 
     compete with nations and cultures throughout the world. The 
     standard of living we enjoy today has, in large part, been 
     made possible by our ingenuity and creativeness and our 
     ability to continually advance and apply technology.
       Many organizations within the federal government support 
     the country's universities. We believe these agencies deserve 
     your personal attention and commitment to modest, but 
     sustained, real growth in programs which invest selectively 
     in university science and engineering research. These 
     programs are essential to our future. History has shown that 
     it is federally sponsored research that provides the truly 
     ``patient'' capital needed to carry out basic research and 
     create an environment for the inspired risk-taking that is 
     essential to technological discovery. We maintain that the 
     federal government is, and must remain, the primary steward 
     of our national trust in university research.
       We know that you face politically difficult choices as you 
     deliberate and ultimately decide which federal programs merit 
     continued support. As you make those choices, we urge you to 
     achieve the deeply entwined goals of a vital and productive 
     society, world leadership in science and engineering, and a 
     balanced budget.
           Respectfully,
         W.W. Allen, Chairman & CEO, Phillips Petroleum Company;
         C. Michael Armstrong, Chairman & CEO, Hughes Electronics 
           Corporation;
         Norman R. Augustine, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin 
           Corporation;
         John L. Clendenin, Chairman & CEO, BellSouth Corporation;
         Robert J. Eaton, Chairman & CEO, Chrysler Corporation;
         George M.C. Fisher, Chairman, President & CEO, Eastman 
           Kodak Company;
         Robert W. Galvin, Chairman, Executive Committee, 
           Motorola, Incorporated;
         Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Chairman & CEO, IBM Corporation;
         Joseph T. Gorman, Chairman & CEO, TRW, Incorporated;
         Gerald Greenwald, Chairman & CEO, United Airlines;
         George H. Heilmeier, President & CEO, Bellcore;
         Jerry R. Junkins, Chairman, President & CEO, Texas 
           Instruments, Incorporated;
         John A. Krol, President & CEO, DuPont;
         Edward R. McCracken, Chairman & CEO, Silicon Graphics, 
           Inc.;
         Lars Nyberg, Chairman & CEO, NCR Corporation (formerly 
           AT&T Global Information Solutions);
         R.B. Palmer, Chairman & CEO, Digital Equipment 
           Corporation;
         John E. Pepper, Chairman & CEO, The Procter & Gamble 
           Company;
         Lewis E. Platt, Chairman, President & CEO, Hewlett-
           Packard Company;
         Randall L. Tobias, Chairman & CEO, Eli Lilly and Company;
         Alex Trotman, Chairman of the Board, Ford Motor Company; 
           and
         P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., Former Chairman & CEO, Merck & 
           Company, Incorporated.

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