In many areas of science and technology, American researchers arguably remain the best in the world; however, our margin of leadership is neitheras wide nor as clear cut as it has been in the past.
The Secretary of Energy, Dr. Chu, has said that he regards his two principal challenges to be energy independence and climate change. In the long term, I believe that much of the inspiration to overcome both of these challenges will come from the Office of Science.
In many areas of science and technology, American researchers arguably remain the best in the world; however, our margin of leadership is neither as wide nor as clear-cut as it has been in the past and in certain areas we have clearly fallen behind. Given the constrained fiscal environment, it is particularly important that we strategically plan each major program area to ensure we are proceeding in a deliberate and thoughtful manner, increasing or maintaining our lead in the areas where we can and limiting our investment where we cannot while finding viable niches to maintain scientific knowledge.
U.S. leadership in many areas of science and technology depends, in part, on the continued availability of the most advanced scientific facilities for our researchers. However, I believe that many of the infrastructure plans of the Department were developed with a far more optimistic funding profile than the current reality will support. We must maximize scientific and technological advances within tight fiscal constraints. I hope to hear from you today how the Office of Science has begun to reevaluate the strategic plans of major program areas.
Our national labs are rightly viewed as a national asset. However, coming from an area without a national lab, as most members do, I'd like to understand how the Department interacts with organizations, whether it is industry or academia, outside the national lab structure. It is often times difficult to articulate to my constituents the importance of our nation's science laboratories, something that I hope you can help me with today.
Additionally, I will be interested in hearing your perspective on where we should be investing in science and how it fits into the Administration's "all-of-the-above strategy for the 21st century that develops every source of American-made energy."
Thank you, Mr. Chairman for the time.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
