[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                FY08 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS EXPLANATIONS

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                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 5, 2007

  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, in accordance with House earmark reforms, 
I would like to place into the Record a listing of congressionally 
directed projects in my home State of Idaho that are contained within 
the report to the fiscal year 2008 Defense appropriations bill.
  I'd like to take just a few minutes to describe why I supported these 
projects and why they are valuable to the Nation and its taxpayers.
  The report contains $3 million for a technology entitled Vacuum 
Sampling Pathogen Collection and Concentration. Developed by Microbial-
Vac Systems in Jerome, ID, the advanced ``Vacuum Pathogen'' collection 
and concentration systems are critical to continued advancement of the 
Department of Defense's applications for manual and robotic sample 
acquisition and traceability of biothreat agents in food safety and 
environmental settings. Expansion and centralization of facilities, 
manufacturing, distribution, and infrastructure support capabilities 
will provide improved and more economically feasible commercial 
production capacities, emergency supply storage and expanded quality 
control capabilities. These measures are critically needed to supply 
sufficient numbers of the sterilely packaged pathogen collection and 
rapid processing technology to fill military and civilian emergency 
immediate and long-term needs during pandemic outbreaks, hostile 
attacks and post-incident remediation/decontamination monitoring and 
verification procedures. Improved national defense and food security 
will be realized by initial second-generation technology development of 
precise sample location and traceability, robotic field collection and 
automated rapid processing interfacing capability development. This 
project has received Federal funding in previous fiscal years.
  This project was requested by Microbial- Vac Systems in Jerome, ID.
  The report contains $2 million for the Idaho Accelerator Center, IAC, 
at Idaho State University's, ISU's, Small Accelerators and Detection 
Systems for Defense Applications program. Ongoing work at IAC suggests 
that transportable accelerators can now be developed to actively 
identify suspected nuclear materials/packages in the field, neutralize 
biological/chemical agents when discovered, decontaminate areas where 
bio/chem agents may have been released, and detect explosives and 
contraband in a variety of challenging circumstances. The IAC and the 
ISU academic community, in collaboration with scientists and engineers 
from the private sector and national laboratories, has been involved in 
developing technology for the remote detection of hazardous materials 
and contraband for more than 15 years. Through these associations the 
IAC has devised non-intrusive means to identify the contents of 
containers of various kinds that may contain fissionable material, 
radioactive material, explosives, hazardous material--biological or 
chemical--and contraband--FREHC--for homeland and national security 
applications. This project has received Federal funding in previous 
fiscal years.
  This project was requested by Idaho State University in Pocatello, 
ID.
  The report contains $2 million for a program entitled Systematic 
Hierarchical Approach to Radiation Hardened Electronics, SHARE. Lack of 
consistent reliable performance of integrated circuits, IC, used in 
space communication, surveillance, and guidance systems continues to be 
a potentially debilitating problem for the military services. The 
problem has been aggravated by the rapid and unsettling contraction of 
the industrial base needed to design and produce the specialized 
electronics that must perform in applications requiring high 
reliability in a challenging radiation-charged environment. As one of 
the principal users of radiation hardened, RadHard, electronics, the 
U.S. Air Force is pursuing domestically fabricated technologies that 
will ensure a ready and economical capability for producing radiation 
hardened microelectronics using advanced commercial processes. SHARE 
has been identified by the Air Force as a critical capability that will 
enable collaboration among circuit designers, simulation software 
vendors, and foundries under the direction of SEAMS Center AFRL at 
Kirtland AFB, NM. This project has received Federal funding in previous 
fiscal years.

  This project was requested by American Semiconductor in Boise, ID.
  I appreciate the opportunity to provide a list of congressionally 
directed projects in my region and an explanation of my support for 
them.
  (1) $3 million for Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and 
Concentration; Microbial-Vac Systems.
  (2) $2 million for Small Accelerators and Detection Systems for 
Defense Applications; ISU.
  (3) $2 million for Systematic Hierarchical Approach to Radiation 
Hardened Electronics, SHARE; ASI.

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