ASME urges DOD funding increase

ASME testified last month before a Congressional appropriations committee that failure to invest more heavily in research and development for the Department of Defense will be detrimental to engineers and U.S. security.

In a statement to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, Dennis Achgill, vice president of ASME's Board on Government Relations, urged setting aside 3 percent of the total DOD budget for the department's core Science and Technology programs in fiscal year 2004.

That 16 percent increase would alleviate the damage from past funding shortfalls that have left "little incentive for young engineers to seek defense-related career opportunities," Achgill said. As a result, he explained, the defense industry has trouble attracting and retaining the best engineering and scientific talents. To read the statement, go to http://www.asme.org/gric/ICCFRD/DOD.html.

 

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