Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) has sent letters to key Members of the
House of Representatives about the Defense Department decision
to disband JASON. As reported this week on National Public
Radio and in The New York Times, this action resulted from an
impasse over the membership of this secretive panel that
advises the Defense Department and other federal agencies.
According to Holt, a decision about JASON's future must be
made by April 1 if the scheduled spring meeting is to be held.
The following letter was sent to the leaders of the House
Armed Services Committee and House Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee:
March 26, 2002
The Honorable Ike Skelton
Ranking Member, Committee on Armed Services
2206 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Skelton:
I am writing to express my concern with the Department of
Defense's recent decision to disband JASON, a group of
scientists that has advised the Department on scientific
issues for many decades.
JASON was founded in 1958. It consists of an evolving group
of approximately fifty academic scientists who convene
semiannually to study selected scientific issues for the
military and other federal agencies. The important feature of
JASON is that, even though it is funded by DARPA and other
agencies, JASON acts independently of the Department of
Defense and these agencies. This ensures that the advice that JASON
gives is unbiased.
The decision to cut JASON's funding stems from the group's
refusal to allow DARPA to select three new JASON members. For 44 years,
the current members of JASON have selected the new members. This selection
process maintains JASON's autonomy and ensures that their decisions
are not based on any obligation to the Department of Defense. Allowing
the
Department of Defense to choose JASON's members would
compromise the objectivity and independence of the group's
advice.
Composed of extraordinarily creative people, JASON has
developed such ideas as a system for communicating with
submarines using radio wavelengths thousands of kilometers
long, techniques for distinguishing incoming missiles from
decoys, and an efficient way to build a laser using free
electrons. JASON consists of physicists, biologists, chemists
and computer scientists and can claim eight Noble Prize
laureates and dozens of members of the National Academies
among its past and present members.
I have met with JASON in the past and know personally that
JASON is truly a valuable source of advice for the Department
of Defense. The decision to disband the group deprives our
country of something that America badly needs - a creative,
independent approach to the challenging security problems
facing our nation. I hope that you will take steps to
reinstate JASON. The decision to continue JASON must be made by April
1 if their spring meeting is to take place as
planned. This is a small investment financially for a very
valuable service.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please
do
not hesitate to contact me if you need additional information
or if I can be of assistance in any other way.
Sincerely,
RUSH HOLT
Member of Congress
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