“As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am writing our funding bills to invest in Washington state’s growing innovation economy. By establishing this scientific consortium here in Washington state, we are laying the groundwork to bring even more private and federal investment to our state’s growing aerospace industry. If we want to maintain our competitive edge, we have to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery—and this federal research partnership will help us do that. Investing in scientific discovery is an investment that pays off—this is a next chapter in a story of inquiry, invention, innovation, exploration, and discovery of new frontiers.”