[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2271-E2272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2008

  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, in accordance with House earmark reforms, 
I would like to place in the record a listing of the congressionally-
directed projects I have requested in my home state of Idaho that are 
contained in the report of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, 
Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 
Appropriations Bill. I originally attempted to submit this statement on 
September 24, 2008, but it appears that it was never printed in the 
Congressional Record, so I would like to resubmit my original 
statement.
  I'd like to take just a few minutes to describe why I support these 
projects and why they are valuable to the nation and its taxpayers.
  The report contains $4,000,000 in the NPPD Infrastructure Protection 
and Information Security account for the Power and Cyber Systems 
Protection, Analysis, and Testing Program at the Idaho National 
Laboratory. The program would conduct vulnerability analysis, testing, 
and protection of power and cyber connected systems for the Department 
of Homeland Security, utilizing the unique resources available at the 
Idaho National Laboratory, such as the electric grid, SCADA and control 
systems, cyber and communication test beds, and the explosives test 
range. The proposed work entails collaboration with leading 
universities and other National Laboratories to leverage ongoing 
research at these institutions and advance the state-of-the-art in 
building resilience into infrastructure systems. The funding would be 
used to obtain full-scale systems in sectors of interest to DHS for 
testing of vulnerabilities, identification of protection strategies, 
and evaluation of resilient designs; partner with universities and 
National Laboratories to develop resilient control systems; and 
establish a program that develops new protection schemes. The INL is 
uniquely placed to carry out this program, which would leverage its 
ongoing work in this area sponsored by DoD, DHS, and Intelligence 
Agencies and its established relationships with industry, universities, 
and National Laboratories. This request is consistent with the intended 
purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is the Idaho National 
Laboratory, located at 2525 North Freemont St., Idaho Falls, Idaho 
83415.
  The report contains $1,600,000 in the Defense Production Act 
Purchases account for the Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) 
Manufacturing Improvement. The United States Air Force and the Missile 
Defense Agency have been investigating ways to improve manufacturing 
capabilities and improve cryogenic and radiation performance of these 
circuits. The thermal imagers of the future will operate in harsh 
environmental conditions for longer periods of time and will have 
increased resolution (through increased pixel count) over the detectors 
of today. Maintaining a domestic source of this technology as well as 
working to enhance the manufacturing capabilities of this critical 
technology arc equally as important as increasing the yield. Funds for 
this project will be used to establish a long-term, known US source; 
improve yields both by the manufacturer and by the vendors who use the 
contractor as a manufacturing source; decrease the cycle time required 
in manufacturing ROICs and a reduction of design cycle time by ROIC 
designers; and provide a roadmap to meet the future needs of the ROIC 
designers. When the program is completed, ROICs will be available with 
twice the number of pixels for less money than the ROIC currently 
costs. This request is consistent with the intended purpose of this 
account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is ON Semiconductor, 
located at 2300 Buckskin Rd. Pocatello, Idaho 83201.
  The report contains $1,600,000 in the Medical Advanced Technology 
account for the Integrated Patient Quality Program. To directly enhance 
the patient-provider encounter, the Integrated Patient Quality Program 
will identify the degree to which physicians utilize consumer content 
integrated into the DoD Electronic Medical Record (AHLTA) and provide 
after-visit summaries to patients, and identify the impact this 
critical medical information has on patients' health and their ability 
to make informed decisions. This phase of the project will build upon 
the requirements' definition and technical feasibility study performed 
within FY08 funding that developed a functional and technical road map, 
and successfully tested the Integrated Patient Quality concept in a 
development environment. Additionally, the Integrated Patient Quality 
Program will explore content delivery options outside of the patient-
provider face-to-face interaction to include: secure provider/patient 
email, online laboratory results, pre-visit/test preparation, surgical 
decision support, and disease management to at-risk patients. This 
request is consistent with the intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is Healthwise, 
Incorporated, located at 2601 N. Bogus Basin Road Boise, Idaho 83702.
  The report contains $2,000,000 in the Support Systems Development 
account for the Accelerator-Driven Non-Destructive Testing. The Idaho 
Accelerator Center (IAC) proposes to continue development of 
penetrating and nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques utilizing new 
techniques in positron annihilation spectroscopy with accelerator-based 
gamma-beams, and the use of monochromatic x-ray beams that are produced 
by colliding high-power laser beams with high-energy electron beams. 
Both of these core technologies have been under development at the IAC 
for several years and have matured to the point that serious in-field 
commercialization is possible. This request is consistent with the 
intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is Idaho State 
University, located at 921 South 8th Avenue Pocatello, Idaho 83209.
  The report contains $1,440,000 in the Electronics Technology account 
for the 3-D Technology for Advanced Sensor Systems Project. The 
military has a need for new three-dimensional (3-D) packaging of 
electronic systems, particularly sensor systems for portable 
applications. The team of Boise State University and RTI International 
has developed 3-D processing techniques on silicon and LTCC platforms, 
including technologies for die- and wafer-scale bonding and 3-D) 
interconnects. These funds will allow them to apply these techniques to 
create 3-D integration and packaging solutions applicable to a general 
category of high performance sensor systems. These funds will be used 
to support summer salaries for faculty, and provide salaries for 
research staff, post-doctoral associates, graduate and undergraduate 
students. Research supplies, capital equipment, and travel will be 
funded as required to support the objectives of the project. This 
request is consistent with the intended purpose of this account.

  The entity to receive funding for this project is Boise State 
University, located at 1910 University Drive Boise, Idaho 83725-1135.
  The report contains $1,200,000 in the Critical Infrastructure 
Protection account for the Electric Grid Reliability/Assurance project. 
The effort will operationalize advanced electric grid modeling 
simulation and analysis capability that links disparate critical 
infrastructure sector models that run simultaneously and dynamically to 
share information providing greater understanding of critical 
infrastructure status before, during or after a destructive event. 
Funds will be used for the enhanced development of electric grid 
modeling, simulation and testing capabilities at the Idaho National 
Laboratory (INL). Incorporation of both real-time and distributed 
system modeling capabilities will provide expanded capabilities for 
analysis of systems critical to DoD. These efforts will provide DoD an 
enhanced capability to simulate, prove and make recommendations for 
techniques to sustain mission operations via continued power generation 
when power from the electric utilities is no longer present. This 
request is consistent with the intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is Idaho National 
Laboratory, located at P.O. Box 1625 Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415
  The report contains $1,200,000 in the Advanced Electronics 
Technologies for the Hybrid Power Generation System. Research has 
resulted in a breakthrough technology using compressed magnetic fields 
which can generate power. The continued research, development, testing 
and validation of the technology should result in mission extension for 
dismounted soldiers and considerable savings by reducing the reliance 
on disposable batteries. Approximately $57,000 is being spent per 
soldier, per year on batteries alone in theatre. This technology will 
not only reduce federal spending needed for such batteries, but will 
considerably reduce related military logistics costs, reduce the amount 
of hazardous waste disposal costs (for the toxic substances used in 
battery materials), and will reduce the man/machine interface by 
reducing the 20-30 lbs of extra batteries soldiers are currently 
required to carry for extended missions. This request is consistent 
with the intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is M2E Power, Inc., 
located at 875 W. McGregor Court, Suite 150 Boise, Idaho 83705
  The report contains $3,200,000 in the Chemical and Biological Defense 
Program Account for the Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and 
Concentration project. Production

[[Page E2272]]

and commercialization potential of the recently completed basic wet-
vacuum pathogen collection system will be further enhanced through 
completion and integration of current prototype-stage ``sister'' 
technologies. The combined systems will provide safer, more accurate 
and faster sample collection and processing capabilities with GPS-RFID 
sample site documentation and sample identification, plus handling, 
transport and lab traceability. Current outsourced production 
activities will be centralized through expanded in-house production 
facilities for more stringent cost, QC and delivery schedule management 
and control. Integrated technology systems will improve safety, 
accuracy and standardization of bio-agent detection methods for our 
soldiers and civilian end users. This request is consistent with the 
intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is Microbial-Vac 
Systems, Inc., located at 160 Bridon Way, Jerome, Idaho 83338.
  The report contains $3,200,000 in the Advanced Spacecraft Technology 
account for the Ultra Low Power Electronics. Ultra-Low Power (ULP) 
Electronics is an Air Force Research Lab-sponsored initiative working 
in collaboration with industry to develop electronics that require less 
power and provide increased efficiency. A key challenge for DoD 
electronics applications is the reduction of power consumption in the 
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)--the technology platform 
used for advanced integrated circuits. Funding in 2009 will develop a 
high OPS/Watt ULP platform solution for DoD designers of electronic 
systems and demonstrate a base technology that can be rapidly scaled to 
meet general ULP industry requirements for portable electronics. The 
project is an iterative, multi-lot, fabrication research and 
development effort that includes design tool and model development 
necessary to deploy the new technology. A viable scaling method for 
reducing electronic voltage requirements and the associated ULP 
products will define an alternative CMOS scaling roadmap specific to 
portable technology. This program will establish a new technical 
approach and industrial capability for U.S. electronics. This request 
is consistent with the intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is American 
Semiconductor, Inc., located at 3100 S. Vista Ave., Ste 230 Boise, 
Idaho 83705.
  The report contains $800,000 in the New Design Ssn Account for the 
Highly Corrosive-Resistant Alloy Joining for Nuclear Applications. This 
funding will be used to develop and test novel prototype design-for-
manufacturing methods, flexible automated welding and inspection 
technology for application in submarine nuclear reactor propulsion 
systems. The research will result in new joining techniques to shape 
highly corrosive-resistant alloys to meet the requirements of 
underwater power generation and radiation containment. This request is 
consistent with the intended purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is Premier Technology, 
located at 1858 W. Bridge Street Blackfoot, Idaho 83221.
  The report contains $1,800,000 in the Air Force Military Construction 
Account for the Mountain Home AFB Logistics Readiness Center. The 
Existing Logistic Supply is a condemned 53-year old wooden structure 
beyond economical repair. The building had to be evacuated and now 60 
percent of base supply functions operate from temporary spaces across 
base, creating significant delays in troop/equipment mobilization. This 
negatively impacts the Wing's ability to demolish and relocate from 
other substandard facilities on base. When funded, the Logistics 
Readiness Center will provide command and control for all materials in-
bound and outbound, including freight processing, packing, crating, 
pallet buildup shop, and provide bulk and bin storage. The facility 
will also support secure storage and an armory and will include 
administrative areas. This request is consistent with the intended 
purpose of this account.
  The entity to receive funding for this project is the 366th Wing, 
Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, located at 366 Gunfighter Avenue, 
Ste 107, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho 83648.
  I appreciate the opportunity to provide a list of Congressionally-
directed projects in my district and an explanation of my support for 
them.
  (1.) $4 million for the Power and Cyber Systems Protection, Analysis, 
and Testing Program; Idaho National Laboratory.
  (2.) $1,600,000 for the Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIL) 
Manufacturing Improvement; ON Semiconductor.
  (3.) $1,600,000 for the Integrated Patient Quality Program; 
Healthwise Incorporated.
  (4.) $2,000,000 for the Accelerator-Driven Non-Destructive Testing; 
Idaho State University.
  (5.) $1,440,000 for the 3-D Technology for Advanced Sensor Systems; 
Boise State University.
  (6.) $1,200,000 for the Electric Grid Reliability/Assurance; Idaho 
National Laboratory.
  (7.) $1,200,000 for the Hybrid Power Generation System; M2E Power 
Inc.
  (8.) $3,200,000 for the Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and 
Concentration; Microbial-Vac Systems, Inc.
  (9.) $3,200,000 for the Ultra Low Power Electronics; American 
Semiconductor.
  (10.) $800,000 for the Highly Corrosive-Resistant Alloy Joining for 
Nuclear Applications; Premier Technology.
  (11.) $1,800,000 in the Air Force Military Construction Account for 
the Mountain Home AFB Logistics Readiness Center; Mountain Home Air 
Force Base.

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