Date: 1995-10-11
Speaker: PETE GEREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman. the Basic Research Subcommittee developed the provisions of titles I and VII of H.R. 2405. which authorize the activities of the National Science Foundation and the. United States Fire Administration. respectively. These are small agencies with a disproportionate impact on the well being of the Nation. The National Science Foundation plays a key role in developing and sustaining Americas unparalleled academic research enterprise. It is the only Federal agency with the sole mission to support basic science and engineering research and education in the Nations schools. colleges. and universities. Its programs support individual faculty members. postgraduate research fellows and graduate students. the operation of national research facilities. the modernization of scientific instruments and research facilities. and science education at all levels of instruction. Although NSF represents only 4 percent of the Federal R&D budget. the agency provides one quarter of all Federal support for academic basic research. This support makes major contributions to disciplinary research. including. for example. more than 40 percent of Federal funding for mathematics research and onethird of the funding for both the Earth sciences and the nonmedical biological sciences. In addition. NSF is an important participant in multiagency research efforts in areas of strategic importance to Americas technological strength. For example. NSF provides approximately 30 percent of the total funding for the High Performance Computing and Communications Program. This major Federaluniversityindustry research initiative provides the technical underpinnings for the emergence of the National Information Infrastructure. Finally. NSF plays a large role in precollege and undergraduate science and mathematics education. The foundation supports programs of model curriculum development. teacher preparation and enhancement. and informal science education. A direct linkage exists between these wideranging research and education activities and the longterm economic health and well being of our country. These programs generate the new knowledge and produce the human capital needed to fuel a technologicallybased economy. Ultimately. the success of NSFs programs are reflected in such concrete ways as the productivity of the Nations workforce. The NSF authorization in H.R. 2405 attempts to maintain the core research arlo education programs of the foundation in a difficult budget climate. I share the commitment of many of my colleagues to achieve a balanced budged over the next 7 years and realize that even the most valuable Federal programs. such as NSFs research activities. must bear some of the pain of achieving this goal. Although the bill lowers funding from fiscal year 1995 levels. it is an allocation that provides relatively gentle treatment for NSF in a year in which many Federal science and technology programs authorized by the Science Committee have experienced severe cuts. In addition. some funding increases are provided by the bill in the second year that will bring the NSF research directorates back to the fiscal year 11995 funding levels. The bill also addresses the question of how to ensure a wise allocation of resources in stringent budget times. A requirement is included for NSF to develop and submit to Congress annually a clear statement of the agencys goals. The annual multiyear plan is intended to highlight expected areas of program emphasis. including research initiatives under development. and contain criteria and procedures for assessing progress toward defined goals. A related requirement calls for the development and periodic updating of a plan for new construction of NSFs national research facilities. such as telescopes. and upgrades to existing national facilities. These two requirements will assist Congress in determining priorities to ensure that the resources allocated to NSF are used for maximum benefit. The other major provision of H.R. 2405 which was the product of the Basic Research Subcommittee is title VII. which authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration. This agency has long enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress because of its vital mission to improve the safety of all our citizens. The agency supports training. research. and public education efforts which have advanced public awareness of fire safety practices. and have improved the effectiveness of fire services and home fire safety devices. Much has been accomplished. but the record of fire death rates and property loss in the Nation reveals that much remains to be done. The bill authorizes funding for the important programs of the U.S. Fire Administration at a level very close to the Presidents request. This is a significant accomplishment because of the severe downward budget pressures on all Federal agencies and activities. In light of the current budget climate. I am pleased that the committee has developed a bill that will sustain the important programs of the Fire Administration. Mr. Chairman. I want to acknomledge the open and collegial approach taken by the chairman of the Basic Research Subcommittee. Mr. SCHIFF. in developing titles I and VII of H.R. 2405. and am pleased to join him in commending these measures to the House for its favorable consideration.