21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act

21ST CENTURY NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor S. 189, the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. With this legislation, the Senate recognizes the emerging field of nanotechnology and its importance to the United States economy. I thank my colleagues for their efforts. I particularly thank Senator Wyden for his leadership and maturity in guiding this bill to the floor. There were several times when this bill was going to be derailed and each time Senator Wyden stepped in to get us back on track.

Nanotechnology has been described as the next Industrial Revolution that will drastically alter the way products are manufactured. Yet we are not alone as other countries are competing to push the boundaries of this technical frontier. Countries such as Japan and the European Union are already spending hundreds of millions of dollars on nanotechnology research. The United States cannot afford to fall behind if we want to maintain our economic strength. This legislation is one step towards ensuring America's leadership and economic competitiveness in nanotechnology.

This legislation is an affirmation that the United States will continue to play a leading role in the development of nanotechnology. It authorizes $784 million for fiscal year 2005 for five Federal agencies involved in nanotechnology research. Although other agencies were not included in this bill, I am hopeful that they will contribute to the National Nanotechnology Program. The legislation provides interagency coordination to the Federal Government's nanotechnology research and development efforts. The establishment of a National Nanotechnology Coordination Office will infuse an organized, structured, and collaborative approach to this research. The legislation also calls for the development of a strategic plan that will provide a roadmap for the country's research and development future.

Nanotechnology is a new frontier and we want to ensure that it is developed responsibly. That is why I pushed for the creation of the American Nanotechnology Preparedness Center. This Center is charged with ensuring that societal, ethical, and environmental concerns surrounding nanotechnology are properly addressed as research progresses. This is vital as we see more and more of nanotechnology in everyday life, we need to assure citizens that this new technology is safe and non-threatening.

In addition to the American Nanotechnology Preparedness Center, this legislation also establishes a Nanotechnology Advisory Panel. The National Academies of Sciences recommended an Advisory Panel in its review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. I am proud to support its creation in this legislation. I think that it is vital that the President receive advice from dedicated experts directly involved in this field, from the scientists and researchers who are at the forefront of this technology, rather than from advisors who are appointed to serve other technical advisory roles.

One of this country's main strengths is our ability to innovate. Nanotechnology will be the next test as to whether we can continue to move forward. There remains a tremendous amount of basic research that needs to be undertaken in order to fully understand the science behind it all. This is exactly the role that Federal Government should play: to promote scientific knowledge that will benefit our society and our economic competitiveness. This bill does exactly that and I am proud to support it.

I thank the House Science Committee for their cooperation. I also thank the other cosponsors, particularly Senators LIEBERMAN and CLINTON as well as Senators ALLEN, MCCAIN, STEVENS, MIKULSKI, LANDRIEU, LEVIN, BAYH, CANTWELL, CORZINE, HUTCHINSON, KERRY, LAUTENBERG, BAUCUS, ROCKEFELLER, ALEXANDER, and WARNER for their support. In particular, I would also like to thank the staff who put this bill together. In addition to my staff, we enjoyed the hard work of Ruchi Bhowmik with Senator Wyden, Liz Connell with Senator Stevens, Ken La Sala with the Senate Commerce Committee, Frank Cavaliere with Senator Allen, Mike O'Reilly with Senator Sununu, and Michael Yentzen with Senator Lott.