Conclusion The primary rationale for SEMATECH's creation five years ago was national security to ensure an industrial base in the chips required for advanced weapons systems. The world situation has changed dramatically in that time. Threats from abroad have diminished, but we have also fought a war in that time -- a war that proved that the best technology not just wins conflicts but minimizes the loss of life. This should remind us that the national security rationale for SEMATECH still applies. We must also recognize that economic security is an additional and legitimate reason for future government support of ŠEMATECH. The electronics industry is the largest industrial employer in the United States, providing 2.6 million jobs in 1990 -- more than automotive, aerospace, and steel combined. It is the fastest growing manufacturing industry, and the largest basic industry, with shipments of $290 billion in 1990, ahead of chemicals (at $265 billion) and vehicles ($221 billion). Moreover, electronics are crucial inputs into the modern manufacturing techniques that other key industries, like autos and aerospace, must employ in order to maintain and improve competitiveness. Against numbers like these, a successful program like SEMATECH that costs the government $100 million is an excellent investment. America must work harder to maintain economic leadership than it used to. Government must do more to create an environment where those with the innovative spirit can thrive. SEMATECH has provided valuable lessons in how governmentindustry collaboration can help provide for future economic and military security. Leaders in government, industry, and universities must plan ahead to ensure a bright economic future for our country. Even as our trade imbalance declines, we cannot become complacent. We must continue to invest in the future at a time when our main competitor, Japan, is for the first time, outspending us in privately-funded research and development. SEMATECH has shown itself worthy of being part of future efforts to improve American competitiveness. One of the great baseball pitcher Satchel Paige's rules for longevity was "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." In five years, SEMATECH has helped change the spirit of our semiconductor industry from one of looking over its shoulder for the next catastrophe to a spirit of optimism about the future. Our semiconductor industry can be -- I believe it will be dominant in the 21st century. SEMATECH can help us attain that goal. SEMATECH deserves a full $100 million in appropriations for FY 1993 to help us get there. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1992. JOINT CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES WITNESS HON. BILL RICHARDSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO INTRODUCTION Mr. MURTHA. We welcome the distinguished Member from New Mexico, Congressman Bill Richardson, and just say how honored we are to have such a Member with his influence to come before this Committee. Mr. Richardson. STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RICHARDSON Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you for the nice words. To repay those nice words, I will be exceedingly brief. I have two requests that I hope you consider, two areas that you are well familiar with. One is the DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development program. As you know, this is a program cooperatively and jointly funded R&D effort to investigate advances made in conventional weapons technology. I would respectfully ask the Committee to support the $18.9 million provided in the budget for this joint effort. Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is in my State, is the leader in this research effort. CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES Secondly, Mr. Chairman, DOD/DOE conventional defense technologies similar to the successful joint munitions program which DOD and DOE are developing there is a new Memorandum of Understanding to establish a jointly funded program of R&D intended to bring about major advances in conventional defense technologies. I would urge the Committee to express its intent and interest in spurring national laboratory contributions in this area by appropriating $5 million to the DOD and DOE for the Joint Conventional Defense Technologies program. GUARD AND RESERVE FORCE STRUCTURE Finally, I would hope like many of my colleagues that you recognize the importance of the National Guard and Reserve in our defense budget. Needless to say, I join many of my colleagues that disagree with the Administration's objective of basically reducing the Guard and Reserve more than our existing standing forces and I would hope the Committee deals with that issue. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Because of your interest in these programs, we certainly will take a hard look at them. I know the last couple of years we have made sure that they were funded because you have taken a personal interest in them. We appreciate your coming before the Committee and we will do everything we can to help. Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [The statement of Mr. Richardson follows:] CONGRESSMAN BILL RICHARDSON SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS 4/23/92 Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, for the opportunity to testify today on several projects of the utmost importance to my Congressional district in New Mexico. DOD/DOE MUNITIONS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The joint DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development Program is a cooperative jointly funded research and development effort to investigate advances made in conventional weapons technology. These technologies include smarter munitions, armor and anti-armor materials, new explosives, safe propellants, advanced and hardened fusing, and low cost guidance and control. Los Alamos National Laboratory represents the leading edge in advanced conventional weapons technology research and has historically supported U.S. conventional defense efforts, including support for Desert Storm. Many new opportunities for transfer of technology to industry have occurred as a direct result of the Joint Munitions Program and it is important to keep the program sufficiently funded. I respectfully request the Subcommittee to support the $18.9 million provided in the budget for the Joint DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development Program. JOINT DOD/DOE CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES Similar to the successful Joint Munitions Program, DOD and DOE are developing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a jointly funded program of research and development intended to bring about major advances in conventional defense technologies. The principal focus of this cooperative program is the development of Defense Critical Technologies (DCT's) important to U.Š. national security needs. Los Alamos has taken a leading role in the development of DCT's such as scientific computing for defense and civilian applications. In addition, Los Alamos has contributed to the development of high energy technology, intelligent systems, materials engineering, and manufacturing technologies -- all of which are important to the advancement of our conventional defense needs. I urge the Subcommittee to express its intent and interest in spurring national laboratory contributions in this area by appropriating $5 million to the DOE and DOD for the Joint Conventional Defense Technologies Program. Again, thank you for this opportunity to testify. I look foward to working THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1992. DEFENSE ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITNESS HON. PETER HOAGLAND, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEBRASKA INTRODUCTION Mr. MURTHA. Our next witness is the Honorable Peter Hoagland, distinguished Member from the State of Nebraska. Mr. Hoagland. STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN HOAGLAND Mr. HOAGLAND. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am Peter Hoagland and I represent the Second Congressional District in eastern Nebraska. I appreciate very much this opportunity to testify before this important Committee. DEFENSE ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT I am very pleased that you were able to include in your fiscal year 1993 budget the funding level of $1 billion for the defense economic adjustment program; that is, that the Budget Committee was able to do that. I would like to thank this Committee for the critical role it has taken in maintaining a strong national defense in recent years. We are in a painful period of transition now, but I am confident that when we look back on this period a decade from now, we will see an economy that has been reinvigorated by resources freed up from the defense budget and by healthy commercial trades with our former adversaries. I have extensive testimony describing what the cuts would mean to eastern Nebraska and why economic conversion funds are so important to us. In late 1991, the manpower at Offutt Air Force Base was 14,000 personnel. More than 3,000 of these positions will be eliminated by mid-1994, principally the 2,400 manpower reductions associated with the deactivation of the Strategic Air Command. I think it is important that the Committee fund to the extent possible these kind of retraining programs because it is most important that we reduce the deficit to make more capital available for productive investment that would put these people back to work by improving the economy. That is why I support the elimination of programs like the Space Station, the Seawolf submarine and the Superconducting Supercollider. I voted against the older act extension two weeks ago. I think we need to bite the bullet, get these changes behind us and devote those funds to programs that will work and help our economy get back on the right track. We need to do something about reducing this $400 billion a year deficit that is currently wreaking economic havoc on the country. Mr. MURTHA. We appreciate what you have said. Your support has been of great interest to us. It is a lot of money; it is a big new start in a sense. We feel very strongly that this is something we are going to look at very carefully. It is a lot of money, but military |