FY 2011 Appropriations for the Department of Energy Office of Science

President Curtis Callan, April 2010

Dear APS Member:

I am writing to request that you contact your Senators no later than Friday, April 30, 2010 to ask them to sign a letter being circulated by Senator Jeff Bingaman, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources, and Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the Republican Conference.

The letter, addressed to appropriators, supports the presidential FY 2011 request of "at a minimum ... $5.121 billion" for the Department of Energy Office of Science. It would keep the Office of Science on the doubling path set out by the bipartisan America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110‑69) and sustain recent increases that only began to address two‑decades of shortfalls, during which the Office of Science lost at least 25 percent of its research capacity.

At a time when the White House and many members of Congress are focusing on cutting the federal budget overall, it is important that scientists remind lawmakers that funding science research and education must remain critical priorities for our nation and that creating a "boom and bust" cycle will deter young people from pursuing high-tech careers. You can make your contact quickly and easily online.
Gray arrow  Write Congress

On the Write Congress web page you will find prewritten messages to your Senators. You may send these letters as they are, modify them, or write your own. While individualizing your letter is not essential, please at least make minor edits to the subject line and the first line of the text of each email so that these emails are more individualized. (See Write Congress Pointers below for further instruction.)

Your message will request that your Senators sign on to a letter to Energy and Water Development Subcommittee on Appropriations Chairman Senator Dorgan and Ranking Member Robert Bennett supporting President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 request of at least $5.121 billion for DOE/SC. You can read the letter on the APS website.
Gray arrow  Letter from Senators Jeff Bingaman and Lamar Alexander

Sincerely,
Curtis Callan
President, APS

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