January 27, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContacts
APS President Applauds House Leadership for Science Funding in Stimulus BillInvestment Would Create 100,000 Jobs to Jump-Start Slumping Economy WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent to House leadership officials, American Physical Society President Cherry A. Murray applauds their vision for including science funding in the stimulus bill. The prudent investment would immediately create 100,000 jobs, refurbish crumbling science infrastructure and lay the founding for future economic prosperity for the nation. Read the entire letter below. Dear Speaker Pelosi, I am writing to you as president of the American Physical Society, a leading organization of physicists, to applaud your leadership in the development of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The investments in science infrastructure, basic research and education will immediately put 100,000 Americans back to work and lay the groundwork for a prosperous future for the nation. America’s competitiveness and future prosperity rest on how well it generates new ideas and gets them to the market - in short, on how well America innovates. Investing in basic research reflects our nation’s pioneering heritage of pushing the frontiers of knowledge and has led to innovation, job creation and unforeseen technological advances. The prudent investments in this bill will fund long-delayed basic infrastructure projects at our nation’s universities and laboratories. Buildings that are in disrepair will be refurbished; laboratories will be modernized; and scientists who have been making do with obsolete instruments will have the opportunity to begin using 21st-century technology. Young scientists who are eager to discover the next big thing will be energized, and researchers who shelved their projects due to a lack of funding will return to work, boosting innovation and long-term economic growth. Investing in "shovel ready" science infrastructure is not only good for science, innovation and competitiveness, but it is also good for stimulating the economy. It will put construction workers and factory workers, who have lost their jobs, back to work rapidly. It will reduce unemployment now and lay the foundation for the future economy. The investments in energy efficiency research will also play a critical role in helping the U.S. wean itself off foreign oil and spur a green economy. As the nation strives to rebuild our economy, this bill lays a strong foundation to achieve that goal. It also reflects the intention of the America COMPETES bill, passed by Congress in 2007. Again, I applaud your vision and commitment in this bill, which includes the critical and necessary investments in science infrastructure, research and education that will put the nation on a 21st-century innovation path and keep America competitive for decades to come. Sincerely, Cherry A. Murray CC: |
About APS
The American Physical Society (www.aps.org) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents over 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, DC.
