Volunteers Request Congressional Support for Photonics

Volunteers, scientists, researchers, engineers and industry professionals visited Congressional offices in Washington D.C. as part of a Congressional Visits Day supported by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and other partners in the National Photonics Initiative (NPI).

Nearly 50 volunteers representing photonics visited more than 80 offices of representatives and senators urging opposition to proposed Fiscal Year 2018 science R&D cuts, and support for strong investments in science R&D programs. In particular they urged support for the Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense Science and Technology Program.

“Offices in both the Senate and the House of Representatives were very receptive to our message of support for government funding for science and technology despite the most recent budget proposal from the White House,” said Jason Mulliner, chair of the SPIE Engineering, Science, and Technology Policy committee. “I also saw enthusiasm toward supporting initiatives that would provide educational opportunities to ensure that our workforce is prepared for the technical jobs of both the present and future.”

Those present also took a stand on the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, the utilization of photonics technologies to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure, and the advancement of U.S. manufacturing capabilities and workforce through AIM Photonics.