With The Office Of Science Slated To Receive An Increase Of $200 Million For FY 2007, Schumer Calls For Fully Funding Two Key Programs At Brookhaven N
With The Office Of Science Slated To Receive An Increase Of $200 Million For FY 2007, Schumer Calls For Fully Funding Two Key Programs At Brookhaven National Laboratory
Following yesterday's announcement that the Department of Energy's Office of Science is expected to receive a $200 million increase for the FY 2007 from its FY 2006 funding level, today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the extra money to be used to fully fund two vital programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Senator Schumer is concerned that the two programs, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the National Synchotron Light Source II (NSLS II), will be scuttled, or scaled back due to a lack of funding, jeopardizing key scientific research and scores of high-tech jobs on Long Island.
"Unless we stop starving BNL of the funding it needs, we risk both ongoing scientific research and the loss of high-tech jobs that are essential to Long Island," said Senator Schumer said. "Full funding for these two cutting-edge programs must be a national priority because they bolster American scientific leadership across the world."
Yesterday, the Continuing Resolution (CR) was filed with an increase in funding for the Office of Science with the Department of Energy at $3,796,393,000, an increase of approximately $200 million from FY '06. The FY06 budget for the Department of Energy cut funding for RHIC. Because only 2 of the 11 Appropriations bills were signed into law last year, Appropriators set funding for most federal agencies at the FY06 funding level in the FY07 Continuing Resolution.
Senator Schumer today sent a letter to the Office of Science urging it to use its increased budget to fully fund RHIC with an additional $27 million on top of their Fiscal Year 2006 funding level. Schumer also asked that $25 million be set aside to fund NSLS II. It is expected that the Continuing Resolution with the $200 million increase for the Office of Science will pass the House this week and the Senate next week.
The RHIC is a 2.4-mile superconductor that accelerates gold ions to nearly the speed of light and causes collisions that recreate the Big Bang', offering a glimpse into the birth of the universe during its first few microseconds. For the upcoming fiscal year, its budget was scheduled to be increased by $40.8 million to $143.4 million, allowing full use of the billion dollar project.
The NSLS II is a new state-of-the-art electron storage ring designed to deliver world-leading intensity and brightness, producing x-rays more than 10,000 times brighter than the current light source. It will produce broad and practical impacts on a wide range of initiatives in nanotechnology, biomedicine, and clean and affordable energy. The funds for design and development for NSLS II would be administered by BNL.
Schumer has been a longtime champion for Brookhaven, securing millions to support the lab's work along with being the leading public official in the accelerated cleanup effort. Schumer helped restore operations funding for the BNL's major facilities: RHIC, Light Source, and the medical imaging program. These cuts, if allowed, would have been devastating to BNL. The Senator was an early supporter, and continues to be an avid proponent, of the BNL's Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Brookhaven National Laboratory, established in 1947 and located in Upton, Long Island, is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates for the United States Department of Energy. Brookhaven's staff of over 3,000 scientists, engineers and technicians specializes in nuclear physics research and has received an impressive six Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking work. Brookhaven Lab's programs include the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) designated to researching quark-gluon plasma, the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), National Synchotron Light Source II (NSLSII), and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN).
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=268167&&year=2007&