On March 16th Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter (see Background below) with 45 other signers to the House Appropriations Subcommitee on Energy and Water leaders. In the letter the signers urge continued support for fusion energy research, particularly for support of BOTH the US fusion program and the continued US involvement with ITER. An excerpt:
We are writing to express our strong support for the fusion energy research programs carried out within the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES). We request that you restore funding for the U.S. domestic fusion program to the FY 2012 level and maintain the amount requested for the international fusion program ITER in the Administration’s budget.
They continue and make a specific request to the appropriations subcommittee:
We request respectfully that you restore funding for the domestic fusion program and include a total of $447 million for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences in FY 2013. We understand that difficult funding choices must be made as the appropriations process moves forward. However, clean energy is an area in which our government can ill-afford to fall behind. We know fusion is a sound investment.
To have 47 signers onto a Dear Colleague letter which proposes specific spending amounts directed at an appropriations subcommittee is a very good showing, especially for such a relatively small issue like fusion research (1.5% of DOE budget, 0.01% of US budget).
By signing the letter the following Representatives have shown a strong commitment to continued US fusion research, please take the time to thank them for their support:
Rush Holthttp://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/CongressmanJohnOlver
http://www.facebook.com/bobfilner
http://www.facebook.com/barneyfrank
Representative Dutch Ruppersberger
http://www.facebook.com/repstark
http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanChrisVanHollen
The full letter along with the signatures is below:
Background: A “Dear Colleague” letter is often the vehicle for Congress to organize itself. It is a letter that is sent to all the offices in the House/Senate or circulated on the floor. The letter is often a means to organize support/opposition for an issue or to find co-signers for a bill. By signing the bill the signers identify themselves to the rest of Congress with that particular stance on that issue. Read more at wikipedia.
