Before turning our attention to 2003, a final look at 2002 with
quotations from last year's FYIs:
"International tests place our students in the bottom third of
industrialized nations in their performance in science, and dead
last among those nations in high school physics." - Rep. Vernon
Ehlers (R-MI)
"I want to state clearly at this point that, despite its apparent
impracticality, the administration values discovery-oriented
science, and aims to continue to support the grand quest for
knowledge about the universe at the largest and smallest scales."
- OSTP Director John Marburger at a meeting of the American
Astronomical Society
"In absolute terms the science and technology [budget request]
numbers have grown as well. Would we have liked to have gone
faster? Of course." - DOD Comptroller Dov Zakheim on the
Administration's FY 2003 Defense Department request.
"The Congress, led by this Committee, will have to show its
mettle and provide an infusion of cash for the rest of the
research budget, even in these strained times." - House Science
Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
"The priorities of the nation drastically changed in a matter
of
a few hours." - OSTP Director Marburger
"It's a big deal." - Commerce Secretary Don Evans on global
climate change
"While these projects don't sound very relevant to the daily
existence of most Americans, the downstream impact of projects
like these is pretty significant." - DOE Undersecretary Robert
Card on nuclear and high energy physics research
"What I've come to understand is that in science and technology,
few things could actually be bigger than nanotechnology." - Rep.
Boehlert
"It has become very tough." - DOE Office of Science Director
Ray
Orbach discussing the budget for his office
". . . pretty meager." - Rep. James Walsh (R-NY) on the FY
2003
NSF request
"I think you need to raise your visibility . . . [the] public
perception is not as great as it should be." - Rep. Rodney
Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) to NSF officials
"Some believe NASA has lost its focus and that the pioneering
spirit, the excitement of NASA's mission is gone. But believe
me, that spirit is alive and well. We intend to nourish it." -
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe
"The Department's scientific inquiries and modeling clearly
demonstrate that a repository at Yucca Mountain can meet the
EPA's standards for protecting the health and safety of our
citizens." - Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
"Nevada considers the Yucca Mountain project to be the product
of
extremely bad science, extremely bad law, and extremely bad
public policy." - Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn
". . . the physical sciences need more attention." - Rep.
Nick
Smith (R-MI) at hearing on the NSF "doubling" bill.
"If we can afford to double NIH, we can afford to double NSF."
-
Rep. Ehlers
"Get the accounting done, and think big. I think you're up to
it." - Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to NASA Administrator O'Keefe on
the space station
"I find this really disturbing." - Senator Barbara Mikulski
(D-
MD) on the FY 2003 NSF request
"I'm disappointed that the Administration has not demonstrated
the same level of support for NSF as we have." - Senator
Christopher Bond (R-MO)
"Understanding the actual return on our federal investment dollar
is all the more essential in the current environment, when we
need to ensure that national security needs are fully met. We
cannot afford to increase funding for all programs." - OMB
Comptroller Mark Everson at a hearing on the evaluation of R&D
programs.
"Without adequate research into the underlying fields of physics
and chemistry, advances in biology and medicine will stall." -
Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD)
"We get a huge return on the money that we invest in research,
and we will determine today what kind of a world our children
will live in." - Rep. Gill Gutknecht (R-MN) during House
consideration of NSF "doubling" bill
"No one lab will have supremacy." - Senator Pete Domenici
(R-NM)
on the role of national labs in the new Department of Homeland
Security
"I just don't want to be second in the world." - Office of
Science Director Orbach to high energy physics advisory panel.
"America's technological prowess is unequaled in the world today
- which is why, despite our economic slowdown and the financial
burdens of prosecuting the war against terrorism and ensuring our
collective defense, we still have the strongest, most vibrant
economy on the planet." - Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
"It always pays to be mindful of the fact - especially in the
wake of the September 11 events - that there is a strong and
tight linkage between our national security and the level of
science and technology proficiency in America."- Rep. John Larson
(D-CT)
"Where the rubber meets the road, we have to stop talking and
invest, with real money, in the science and engineering
enterprise that will guaranty the health, economic viability, and
security of our future." - Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
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