Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)

“There is nothing more important to our nation's future than a continued investment in the research and development of new technologies, sciences and medicines, so much of which is being done at our academic institutions in New Jersey. I’m proud to again be honored by The Science Coalition. By doubling federal funding for the NIH and continuing to support the NSF, Congress recognizes that a strengthened investment in science and technology is driving our state and nation’s economic strength, job creation and productivity. You can be sure that I remain committed to this important endeavor.”
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen

2001 Champion of Science
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/

Guest Column in TSC Newsline
April Edition

April 30, 2007

“Penicillin, the proximity fuze…among a host of other scientific contributions to American victory in the Second World War, brought home to many citizens the value of scientific research.”

These are the words contained in the first annual report of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1950. More than 50 years later, the importance of scientific advancement and technology still ring true.

In New Jersey, we have the highest skilled workforce, with the greatest concentration of scientists, technicians and engineers in the nation. Why? Because in New Jersey, science, mathematics, and technology education begin in elementary school and continue until the day students graduate from high school. Students then have the opportunity to continue on to our institutions of high education – Princeton, Stevens Institute of Technology, Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology, just to name a few – where the science and technology skills students gain are paving the way for an entrepreneurial spirit to flourish.

As I travel my district, I see firsthand how our colleges and universities are advancing science and technology education and providing innovative learning facilities. The basic scientific research being conducted at our institutions of higher education is sowing the seeds of innovation, invention, and productivity. This groundbreaking work is being bolstered by the American Competitiveness Initiative, which furthers the spirit of American innovation through research and technology, and by grant funding provided by agencies like the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The fruits of this work advance ongoing research in our national laboratories, like the Princeton Plasma Physics lab at Princeton University; at our military installations, like Picatinny Arsenal; and at private companies. The research and development conducted in New Jersey makes our state the cradle of better technology, revolutionary pharmaceuticals, and cutting-edge telecommunications and computing.

As the ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue my advocacy for science and mathematics education, research, and development at all levels. In this new century, innovation in our schools, laboratories, and private and public sector institutions is what helps Americans live longer and healthier lives, allows our economy to grow and our workers to compete against nations like India and China in a truly global economy, and strengthens our homeland security and national defense.