HOUSE MEMORIAL 92

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Nick L. Salazar

A MEMORIAL

URGING THE NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS IN THE NEXT ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND RECOVERY ACT BE ALLOCATED TO THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES TO SUPPORT ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN MEDICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY, BIOLOGICAL, COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES.

     WHEREAS, the national laboratories develop scientific and technologic innovations that are basic to creating the future of the United States; and

     WHEREAS, the national laboratories seek and employ the most capable scientific and engineering talent from around the world; and

     WHEREAS, the United States cannot afford to lose these talented scientists and engineers, or to delay research that is in progress, due to reduced budgets; and 

     WHEREAS, the national laboratories are unique because of the many areas of research that are actively pursued at the same time; and

     WHEREAS, the national laboratories have always been settings where original research is encouraged and appreciated; and

     WHEREAS, the economic stimulus packages already passed by congress are geared to providing basic jobs and employment for people for whom work availability has been reduced due to the precipitous decline in our national economy; and

     WHEREAS, it is also necessary to protect the scientific and engineering assets of the nation and to reemploy as many of the talented people who have been laid off from national laboratories around the nation due to the constriction of the economy; and

     WHEREAS, in this time of great need for change in the energy sector of the nation, it is necessary to encourage development of new and innovative technologies that will move the nation into a new energy paradigm, and this requires supporting research at the national laboratories; and

     WHEREAS, the laboratories are also involved in creating leading-edge technologies in medical, environmental, biological, communications and information technologies;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation be urged to ensure that funding for the national laboratories, to support original research and technology development in medical, environmental, energy, biological, communications and information technologies, is included in the economic stimulus and recovery bills that come before them during this congressional session; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the national laboratories be supported in seeking and employing the most capable scientific and engineering talent from around the world; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico congressional delegation be urged to ensure that the national laboratories are able to retain the best scientific and engineering talent from throughout the world so that our nation can remain in the forefront of scientific and engineering technology and innovation worldwide; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation and to the directors of Los Alamos national laboratory and Sandia national laboratories.

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