WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 16, 2009 – ASME President Thomas M. Barlow issued the following statement today regarding the release of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 by the House Appropriations Committee. 

“ASME endorses the important provisions legislation released today that includes funding for agencies such as the Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which will have an immediate impact on creating jobs and stimulating economic activity in communities across the country.  I am also pleased to see the Appropriations Committee suggest funding for high risk/high reward energy projects, since I believe that this will be critical for the future development of energy breakthroughs.”        

Barlow continued by adding, “ASME has always advocated for an innovation agenda, with a particular emphasis on sustained funding for basic research, particularly the bipartisan America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69), and now, perhaps more than ever, it is critical that funding for these agencies be addressed.  Therefore, I urge the congressional leadership in the House and Senate to work with President-Elect Barack Obama in the spirit of bipartisanship in order to enact a comprehensive stimulus package not only for the good of the science and engineering community, but also for the good of the nation.” 

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the global engineering and technology community.

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