Off Topic: Communicating With Congress: Now is the Time

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

Whether or not you follow physics research and

development programs or funding programs, this is good

reminder on how you of the need to contact your

representatives.  Remember, they are spending YOUR

money.

------------------

FYI

The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science

Policy News

Number 51: April 21, 2004



Communicating With Congress: Now is the Time



"Politics is not a spectator sport.  Yet far too many

scientists and engineers sit on the sidelines while

major decisions are being made on science policy and

funding." - Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Michigan)



"Too often scientists avoid politics in the same way

that many Members of Congress avoid science.  This is

a formula for failure." - Rep. Rush Holt (D-New

Jersey)



Over the next five weeks, major decisions will be made

concerning the level of federal funding for programs

that are of interest to the physics community.  An

important factor in determining the amount of money a

department, agency, or program will receive is the

amount of correspondence and other communications that

Members of Congress get from their constituents.  Now

is the time to act.



The American Institute of Physics has a science policy

website designed to assist you in communicating with

Congress.  Among this site's features are:



Guidance is provided on corresponding to, and visiting

with, Members of Congress.  Information on key

chairman and their committees and links to locators

for your representative and senators, including their

e-mail addresses, is available.  E-mail is recommended

because of time-consuming screening procedures for

U.S. mail.  This site has a correspondence link for

members of the American Physical Society.

See http://www.aip.org/gov/commcong.html



Information on the Administration's FY 2005 budget

request for the Defense Department, Energy Department,

NASA, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and

Bioengineering, National Institute of Standards and

Technology, National Science Foundation, U.S.

Geological Survey, and science education programs can

be found at http://www.aip.org/gov/budginfo.html



Information on the latest congressional budget action

on the Administration's budget requests for the above

departments, agencies and budgets is at

http://www.aip.org/gov/budginfo.html



An archive of 2004 issues (and earlier) of FYI, as

well as a search engine for FYI can be accessed at

http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/



Sixteen AIP exhibits highlight the important links

between federal funding for basic and applied research

and development and their economic benefits to

society.  Hard copy versions of these Physics Success

Stories are available without charge.  See 

http://www.aip.org/success/



Policy statements issued by different science

coalitions to which AIP and some of its Member

Societies belong recommend funding levels for the

science and technology programs of the Department of

Defense, the Office of Science of the Department of

Energy, National Science Foundation, and the Education

Department's Math and Science Partnership Program. See

http://www.aip.org/gov/polstates.html



Links to public policy sites for six of AIP's Member

Societies are at http://www.aip.org/gov/pubpol.htm



Please contact us if we can be of assistance.



###############

Richard M. Jones

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org    http://www.aip.org/gov

(301) 209-3094

##END##########





=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"Those who have not known the joy of standing up for a great cause of justice have not known what makes living worthwhile."

Paul Painleve, regarding the Dreyfus Affair, 1895



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com





	

		

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