46 



into one room to come to agreement over the nature of the crisis 

 of research facihties and develop a common solution. 



There are serious consequences for failing to act. If we do not 

 own up to the root cause of the crisis and take steps to reconcile 

 competing interests, waste and inefficiency will dominate our agri- 

 cultural research efforts. Major problems will not go away. Instead, 

 they will be exasperated. 



For example, existing labs and office buildings, many of which 

 are very old and in poor condition, will continue to deteriorate be- 

 cause of inadequate funding. Many existing facilities will continue 

 to operate at far less than capacity, and others will join them as 

 funding for new facilities depletes. 



New overly large facilities will continue to be built, stretching 

 the Federal dollar to the breaking point. The disparity in funding 

 between State universities and Federal facilities will continue with 

 universities receiving the lion's share through their more powerful 

 lobby. 



Priorities in funding ongoing research and new projects will con- 

 tinue to be based primarily on political considerations and not on 

 actu£d needs. And finally, facilities spending will consume more 

 and more of the overall research budget, leaving little left over to 

 hire the personnel and to purchase the necessary equipment to con- 

 duct experiments. 



So what do we do? Again, we must first grapple with the essen- 

 tial nature of the crisis, reaching consensus on its definition, and 

 then agreeing on how to solve the problems arising fi-om the root 

 cause. I do have some suggested recommendations for your consid- 

 eration today. 



First, I do believe that we should impose a moratorium on all 

 new facilities spending until a solution is found, as was rec- 

 ommended by the Users Advisory Board in testimony before this 

 subcommittee last March. 



Second, I believe that we need to develop a consensus among con- 

 gressional, USDA, and university officials regarding a responsible 

 and reasonable research planning process, including a capital budg- 

 eting program. 



Third, as Congressman Brown argued in his testimony this 

 morning, I would hope that the subcommittee will enforce the cap 

 estabhshed in the 1985 and the 1990 farm bills of $500,000 for 

 planning and $5 million for construction for new facility projects, 

 a cap that was put in to prevent unauthorized projects not particu- 

 larly well thought out from being funded. 



And finally, I urge the subcommittee to work with the adminis- 

 tration and see that the facilities commission, passed in the 1990 

 farm bill, is implemented as soon as possible. 



As I was walking to work this morning, I tried to think of a way 

 of putting a human face on this problem. It is summer and we are 

 all anxious for vacation. It brought me back to the days when I was 

 yoxmger and going to the lake. I would be standing there at the end 

 of the dock with my two brothers and we would say, "Let's jump 

 in the water. You first." 



"No, you first." 



"No, you first." 



