The Coalition Hosts Congressman Charles Taylor (R-NC) in the Headliner Breakfast Series for 2006

The Science Coalition kicked off the fall congressional season with the latest in its popular Headliner Breakfast series at the Capitol Hill Club on September 13th. The special guest speaker was Congressman Charles Taylor (R-NC), a member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Science, State, Justice and Commerce and Related Agencies. Over thirty university representatives and members of the science advocacy community gathered to listen to remarks from the Congressman and ask questions about the current appropriations climate. Congressman Taylor focused primarily on local issues in his discussion and spoke passionately about improving rural broadband access and the importance it has on education, particularly in math and science. He also emphasized the need for cooperation with the research community and the importance of graduating more engineering students in this country who can offer new ideas, which in turn create new jobs. Finally, he warned that our existence depends on science and technology, but that our budgets are constrained by the attitude that areas of funding like defense and homeland security are of more immediate concern. Congressman Taylor is a clear ally in the ongoing fight for federal funding and the Coalition was grateful to him for his invaluable insight and suggestions moving forward.