[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 149 (Thursday, November 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2419, ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

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                               speech of

                           HON. JO ANN DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 9, 2005

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my 
sincere concern with the funding level for nuclear physics programs in 
the Energy and Water Appropriations Act Conference Report for FY2006.
  While the Office of Science does receive an increase of $32.8 million 
over the fiscal year 2005 level, the nuclear physics programs are 
actually cut 8.4 percent below fiscal year 2005 levels. The Jefferson 
Lab in my district in Newport News, VA, is one of the basic research 
labs that would be negatively impacted by this funding level.
  Just last month the National Academy of Sciences issued a report 
titled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' That report underscored 
that the nation's economic health is seriously at risk without a 
sustained investment in science. The report noted that in Germany, 36 
percent of undergraduates receive their degrees in science and 
engineering. In China the figure is 59 percent, and in Japan 66 
percent. In the United States the corresponding figure is 32 percent. 
It seems to me that this is a time the nation needs to invest in 
science, not cut science programs.
  Mr. Speaker, no Member is more concerned about trimming our budget 
than I am, but we cannot afford to cut programs like nuclear physics, 
that are the key to our country's success, both now and in the future. 
I wish to state for the record that I am extremely disappointed with 
the cuts to nuclear physics programs, and I will continue to work 
vigilantly in the future for this critical funding.

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