Dear SLAC/SSRL Users and Users of other US National Facilities/Laboratories,
I wrote to you in February asking that you contact your congressional representatives to
oppose enormous cuts to the Department of Energy that would drastically affect our national
laboratories, likely resulting in staff layoffs and periodic facility closures.
I wanted to let you know where we are and what we're facing.
Since the budget level for FY2011 is not yet known, the amount of run time through this fiscal
year is also not known at this time. In addition, given the uncertainty in the FY2012 budget,
the amount of running time next year is difficult to predict. Other National Facilities are
likely facing similar issues.
It is really important to get our voices heard.
Congress has already cut ten billion dollars from the budget, but they want to cut another
60 billion more from 'discretionary spending' (which includes the Office of Science budget).
Congress is hammering out a budget right now, due at the end of THIS WEEK.
The BES (Office of Basic Energy Science) funds the national user facilities and could be an
obvious target for cuts. The BES is under the Office of Science, which in turn is under the
Dept. of Energy (DOE). It's easy for congress to 'support' our national facilities, however,
many members of congress *don't realize that the facilities are largely funded through the
Office of Science*!
I'm asking you to contact your congressional senators/representatives again, *this week*, to keep
your support for these facilities and BES funding *in the forefront*. You can use the same letter
as you used last time, if you like, and I've included a sample letter as well (attached and below).
The important thing is that we remind congress of (1) the importance of these facilities to our work,
and (2) why our work contributes to the US innovation and competitiveness in the global market (whether
in material sciences, applied physics, medicine, pharmacology, etc.). Please do it now!
Also, you may have collaborators who do not use SSRL/SLAC (or other national facilities), but whose
work has benefited from your use of these facilities. Please consider asking them to write as well.
Sometimes we're seen as just another special interest group, but if we can demonstrate to congress
that these facilities are not just important to our work but to others, and that the downstream products
of our research has real world benefits for the United States, they will be able to justify their support
for BES & National Laboratories to their constituents.
To find & contact your US Senators and Representatives, go to
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
You can find congress members' e-mail addresses and Washington DC office phone numbers, as well as
their home district/state phone numbers. Many members of Congress are in their home districts this
week, so you can call them if you're local.
If you want to do more, consider contacting members of the Appropriations Water and Energy Subcommittee (http://appropriations.senate.gov/sc-energy.cfm). These committee members make recommendations to the
entire Senate or House, respectively, on appropriations for the Dept. of Energy.
Thank you again,
Beth A. Wurzburg
Chair, SSRL Users' Executive Committee
Below (and attached) is a draft of a letter that you can use. Please modify it by changing
- the subject line slightly
- addressing your congresspersons (see above for how to find)
- identifying yourself (professor, student, postdoc)
- mentioning in a line or two your research and how it depends on DOE facilities such as SLAC or on DOE
funds
- signing your letter.
If you can relate your work to real world applications/jobs/innovation, please do!
If you work for the government, please use your personal computer to send the e-mail.
---- sample letter ----
Subject: DOE Office of Science Budget
I am writing to urge you not to support the drastic reductions in federal science programs that are being discussed in Congress. While I understand the need for fiscal restraint, the proposed spending cuts would have a devastating effect on America’s science and technology infrastructure, and destroy the positive impacts of the significant investments that Congress has made so well over the last several years. Scientific research is essential to American innovation and to our efforts to grow our economy, create jobs and build a better America.
The proposed cuts to the Department of Energy’s Office of Science budget would result in thousands of layoffs and a cessation of activities at national scientific user facilities upon which university research, small business, and American industry depend. Major cuts to the Office of Science will result in job layoffs for scientists, engineers, technologists, and blue collar support personnel at national laboratories and universities across the country. This will severely affect our innovative research and development, and compromise our global competitiveness in new technologies. It would also reduce one of the most important avenues for education of the next generation of researchers – graduate students and postdoctoral fellows – who will form the workforce that will create new American technologies.
The cuts would also have an immediate, severe impact on cutting-edge research in areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, high-speed computing, advanced materials and photonics, as well as high-energy physics, nuclear physics and fusion energy sciences.
At a time when we are seeking to spark economic growth and encourage talented young people to pursue careers in science and engineering, reducing federal support for science research and education is counterproductive. Such cuts will hurt our long-term national competitiveness, especially at a time when emerging economies such as China and India are ramping up their investments in scientific research and education.
I urge you to oppose the proposed cuts for the DOE Office of Science and all other federal science agencies and support investments in our country’s future that will enhance our global competitiveness.
Sincerely,
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