NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2007 – The FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriation Bill, recently passed by both the House and Senate and slated to be signed by President George W. Bush by the end of the year, does not adhere to the promises made by Congress nor the Administration laid out in the America COMPETES Act, stated Sam Y. Zamrik, president of the 120,000-member American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  

Earlier this year, the Administration and Congress, enacted the America COMPETES Act, laying out a bold path toward revitalizing basic research in the physical sciences and engineering.  COMPETES was a welcomed Congressional initiative to double funding for America’s science and engineering research programs and expand science education that complemented the president’s American Competitiveness Initiative and the Democratic Innovation Agenda.
 
Research agencies that serve as the cornerstone of America’s innovation, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will not see the promised increases that would have set in motion a sustained commitment to research and development. 

“This development is very disappointing for ASME and our members that supported the competitiveness and innovation agenda of the president and Congress.”  According to Zamrik, by choosing to pass this omnibus spending bill, the Administration and Congress are abandoning the authorization levels and the commitments to innovation contained in the America COMPETES Act. 

“ASME looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to make FY 2009 a turning point, and help fulfill America’s promise of supporting innovation and competitiveness,” said Zamrik.

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 engineering and technology community.