APS Executive Board Resolution

The Executive Board of the American Physical Society expresses our appreciation to House and Senate policy makers for recently-passed legislation that strengthens the science, math and engineering activities of our nation. The Board thanks specifically the congressional leadership and the chairs and ranking members of authorizing and appropriations committees and subcommittees and more generally all members of the House and Senate whose hard work resulted in this legislation. We also applaud the Executive Branch and Congress for their forward-looking budget actions in the area of the physical sciences.

The Board is impressed with the policies expressed in House bills H.R. 362, 363, 1867 and 1868 that address the critical issues of science education, encouragement of early career investigators and research activities at the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. The Board also recognizes the exceptional efforts of the drafters of The America COMPETES Act (Senate bill S. 761) and the 88 members of the Senate who put in place this legislation that places innovation and competitiveness at the heart of the policy arena. Finally, the Board expresses great thanks to the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee for generously allocating substantial federal resources to the Department of Energy's Office of Science.

As the National Academies report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” noted in October 2005, our nation can no longer take for granted its preeminence in science, engineering and innovation. Sustaining and improving the standard of living of American citizens, achieving energy security and environmental sustainability, providing the jobs of tomorrow and defending our nation against aggressors all require federal investments in science education and research. The Board is gratified to see that the Executive Branch and both Houses of Congress, working together, are moving swiftly to achieve this objective. The Board congratulates the Senate and House leadership and the White House for elevating science to a place of prominence on the federal agenda.