"Short-sighted and Short-Changed”: Science Budget Changes Imperil Nation’s Innovation Future

Washington, D.C. December 18, 2007: “Short-sighted and short-changed” declared Dr. Mary Good, Chairman of ASTRA, the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America, following last-minute changes in key science budgets by Congress and the Administration as lawmakers rush to adjourn before the Holidays.

“Reversing years of hard work, Congress and the Administration have been short-sighted in their haste to get a budget agreement — and they have short-changed America in the process” declared Good. “Only a few months ago, we achieved a refreshing consensus to begin the much-needed doubling of key science budgets under the America COMPETES Act,” said Good, adding “passage of the COMPETES Act recognized that America must increase its investment in physical sciences and engineering if it is to compete successfully in the future global economy. The COMPETES Act was bipartisan and signed by the President. It was a first step in insuring that future generations of Americans can be prepared for the competitive dynamics of a flat world.”

The impending budget changes come only days after ASTRA’s release of a new 14-Point policy framework document, Riding the Rising Tide that is being sent to all Presidential campaigns and Congress. The Rising Tide Report sets forth an action agenda that details how America can maintain its innovation future in the 21st Century in the face of global competition and “flattening.” Rising Tide explains the consequences of inadequate investment in scientific research to our economy, the U.S. standard of living and national security. See Riding the Rising Tide.

“More alarming than the battle over spending priorities is a failure by some to understand the consequences of not planting our “seed corn” today — that means investing in our scientific infrastructure. America is not keeping pace with the rate of investment in scientific infrastructure elsewhere. The consequence is that many of our global competitors are moving ahead and we are not,” declared Good. She concluded: “Beyond our deep disappointment today is our commitment to continue to work with both sides of the aisle and the Administration. There is nothing inevitable about our decline as a global competitor.”

ASTRA, founded in 2000, is a nationwide collaboration of more than 100 organizations, including industry, universities and scientific and professional organizations. ASTRA’s membership in turn, represents more than 2.7 million individual scientists, engineers, technologists, research institutions and small business owners. For more information about us, visit our companion Web Site www.usinnovation.org.

For more information on the Rising Tide study and the consequences of proposed budget changes, contact ASTRA’s Executive Director, Robert S. Boege at 202/872-6160.