committee chairs to produce authorization bills which reflect the House-passed 

 budget resolution to move us to a balanced budget in seven years. 



We had to do this because otherwise we would not have been able to produce a 

 credible or realistic work product. As difficult as it was, we were guided by the same 

 budgetary limitations affecting the other committees. 



Accordingly, those budget limitations forced us to prioritize our federal spending, 

 resulting in a limitation of our ability to fund every worthwhile program. Those lim- 

 itations had a profound effect on my Technology subcommittee, as well as the other 

 subcommittees on the committee. 



As we begin the budget authorization process again in this session under tight 

 fiscal constraints, I believe the National Academy of Sciences report on "Allocating 

 Federal Funds for Science and Technology" can be useful in providing guidance to 

 the committee in prioritizing this committee's funding and by addressing the criteria 

 that should be used in judging the appropriate allocation of federal funds to re- 

 search and development activities. 



The NAS study takes into account the reality of the difficult choices required in 

 balancing the budget. While we all understand the importance of science and tech- 

 nology as an economic anchor, the report helps us to define our future science and 

 technology funding path. 



I look forward to the discussion we will have on the report's recommendation that 

 activities not involved in the creation of new knowledge or technologies should be 

 excluded from federal science and technology budgets, that a single, unified federal 

 science and technology budget encompassing all federal investments in new knowl- 

 edge and technologies should be created, and that there must be a need for greater 

 prioritization in our spending decisions, strong peer review of science allocations, 

 and greater international collaboration for large, costly science projects. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Opening Statement by Congresswoman Jackson Lee During the Science Com- 

 mittee Hearing on the Allocation of Federal Funds for Science & Tech- 

 nology 



During these times of increasingly scarce federal science and technology dollars, 

 it has become even more important for us to maximize our R&D investment. No 

 longer can we afford to fund every project, much less all the projects deemed wor- 

 thy. We must make coherent and intelligent decisions and trade-offs between the 

 competing needs while insuring that America remains the preeminent science and 

 technology leader. 



I believe few could agree that the current method of allocating federal funds is 

 the mechanism for doing this. Indeed what we have now has worked well in the 

 post-WW II era, but for the first time, this country is faced with declining budgets 

 while simultaneously beset by escalating costly science needs. Researchers are re- 

 quiring ever increasingly powerful particle colliders, bigger lasers and more capable 

 computers to solve the myriad of mysteries which still elude us. The greatly success- 

 ful Hubble telescope is but one example; without its orbital location, sophisticated 

 imaging and advanced space systems, I doubt the amazing discoveries it is respon- 

 sible for would have been made. 



Though the issue of money has become much more important in deliberations of 

 the Science Committee, we should not forget the relationships between government, 

 academia and industry, as well as the research institutions that have brought us 

 to where we are. We should learn from successful enterprises such as the National 

 Science Foundation, the nation's productive research universities and our important 

 government laboratories. Thus, I encourage my Committee colleagues to consider 

 this report and its finding and use this occasion to redouble our efforts to bring an 

 even better process forth for setting priorities and making decisions which will effect 

 not only ourselves, but more importantly our grandchildren not yet born. 



Chairman Walker. I now want to turn to Dr. Press and ask him 

 for his opening statement. 



Again, welcome. We're dehghted that you took time to come and 

 share your findings with us. 



Dr. Press? 



