FY08 Defense Appropriations Explanations

SPEECH OF HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON OF IDAHO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

* Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, in accordance with House earmark reforms, I would like to place into the RECORD a listing of congressionally directed projects in my home State of Idaho that are contained within the report to the fiscal year 2008 Defense appropriations bill.

* I'd like to take just a few minutes to describe why I supported these projects and why they are valuable to the Nation and its taxpayers.

* The report contains $3 million for a technology entitled Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and Concentration. Developed by Microbial-Vac Systems in Jerome, ID, the advanced ``Vacuum Pathogen'' collection and concentration systems are critical to continued advancement of the Department of Defense's applications for manual and robotic sample acquisition and traceability of biothreat agents in food safety and environmental settings. Expansion and centralization of facilities, manufacturing, distribution, and infrastructure support capabilities will provide improved and more economically feasible commercial production capacities, emergency supply storage and expanded quality control capabilities. These measures are critically needed to supply sufficient numbers of the sterilely packaged pathogen collection and rapid processing technology to fill military and civilian emergency immediate and long-term needs during pandemic outbreaks, hostile attacks and post-incident remediation/decontamination monitoring and verification procedures. Improved national defense and food security will be realized by initial second-generation technology development of precise sample location and traceability, robotic field collection and automated rapid processing interfacing capability development. This project has received Federal funding in previous fiscal years.

* This project was requested by Microbial- Vac Systems in Jerome, ID.

* The report contains $2 million for the Idaho Accelerator Center, IAC, at Idaho State University's, ISU's, Small Accelerators and Detection Systems for Defense Applications program. Ongoing work at IAC suggests that transportable accelerators can now be developed to actively identify suspected nuclear materials/packages in the field, neutralize biological/chemical agents when discovered, decontaminate areas where bio/chem agents may have been released, and detect explosives and contraband in a variety of challenging circumstances. The IAC and the ISU academic community, in collaboration with scientists and engineers from the private sector and national laboratories, has been involved in developing technology for the remote detection of hazardous materials and contraband for more than 15 years. Through these associations the IAC has devised non-intrusive means to identify the contents of containers of various kinds that may contain fissionable material, radioactive material, explosives, hazardous material--biological or chemical--and contraband--FREHC--for homeland and national security applications. This project has received Federal funding in previous fiscal years.

* This project was requested by Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID.

* The report contains $2 million for a program entitled Systematic Hierarchical Approach to Radiation Hardened Electronics, SHARE. Lack of consistent reliable performance of integrated circuits, IC, used in space communication, surveillance, and guidance systems continues to be a potentially debilitating problem for the military services. The problem has been aggravated by the rapid and unsettling contraction of the industrial base needed to design and produce the specialized electronics that must perform in applications requiring high reliability in a challenging radiation-charged environment. As one of the principal users of radiation hardened, RadHard, electronics, the U.S. Air Force is pursuing domestically fabricated technologies that will ensure a ready and economical capability for producing radiation hardened microelectronics using advanced commercial processes. SHARE has been identified by the Air Force as a critical capability that will enable collaboration among circuit designers, simulation software vendors, and foundries under the direction of SEAMS Center AFRL at Kirtland AFB, NM. This project has received Federal funding in previous fiscal years.

* This project was requested by American Semiconductor in Boise, ID.

* I appreciate the opportunity to provide a list of congressionally directed projects in my region and an explanation of my support for them.

* (1) $3 million for Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and Concentration; Microbial-Vac Systems.

* (2) $2 million for Small Accelerators and Detection Systems for Defense Applications; ISU.

* (3) $2 million for Systematic Hierarchical Approach to Radiation Hardened Electronics, SHARE; ASI.

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