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for more research funding and better science two years, President Bush has requested large While I believe the need for scientific
and math education, because high-tech jobs increases for the three agencies noted above research funding has broken through the
created in other countries mean high-tech in his budget request and both chambers of Washington noise barrier, I think Congress’
jobs not created in the United States. Congress have approved the increases. But, failure to provide it is due to a higher obsta-
Looking at our $100 billion trade deficit the budget process has broken down when it’s cle: the Main Street barrier. When the
for advanced technology products, or our come time to reconcile differences between federal budget isn’t as difficult as it is now,
share of high-tech product exports, will tell the various versions, and science research has it is sufficient to break the Washington
the story of the exploding high-tech prow- been left on the chopping block. Noise barrier. But in the current budget
ess of other countries [charts below]. Indeed, two years later, members of environment, it’s the Main Street barrier
There have now been two budget delib- the “Gathering Storm” committee note with which we have to contend.
eration cycles since the “Gathering Storm” that much progress has been made since For us in the Washington advocacy
report. While support for the report’s recom- the report appeared, but mostly by other community, it is not uncommon to hear
mendations seems strong, Congress and the countries. As another observer put it, the from a member of Congress, “You’ve con-
White House have failed to fund the pro- storm continues to gather. vinced me of the necessity to increase sci-
posed significant increases. In each of the last ence budgets; now you have to convince
my constituency.”
Given that members of Congress face dif-
High-Tech Exports: U.S. Losing World Share
ficult funding choices and there are elections
every two years, it is easy to understand why
United
Congress chooses projects with short-term
Other
Other
States payoffs over basic research, which may not
8%
14%
12%
see payoffs for a decade or more.
United States
Japan
ASA members can help with research
29%
15% Japan
advocacy in a number of ways. First, ASA
9%
European
members can help with the Main Street
Emerging Asian
Union
barrier. We should be speaking out locally
Economies
(20)
about the importance of research and its
8%
28%
benefits to the economy so the general pub-
lic can help us make our case. Opportunities
range from approaching local rotary clubs
European Union (20)
1 9 8 0
Emerging
2 0 0

5

Asian
to writing letters to newspaper editors
40% $159
Economies
$2.26
billion*
to raising the issue at town hall meetings
37%
trillion*
and other public forums. If those outside
the beltway made the “Gathering Storm”
*2000 U.S. Dollars. Emerging Asian Economics: China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India. High-tech includes aircraft,
pharmaceuticals, of_f_ice and computing machinery, communication equipment, medical precision, and optical instruments. connection—the connection between U.S.
competitiveness and the need for stimulus
packages—we would have a much better
U.S. Trade Balance for Advanced Technology Products
chance for success.
1990-2007 ASA members also should communicate
with their elected officials on basic research
funding, whether it be through phone
45
calls, emails, or visits to local offices. And,
more fundamentally, we need to explain
30
to Congress why statistics should be a part
of the federal research funding portfolio.
l
l
a
r
s
o 15 Finally, looking forward, we must explain

D
7
how statistics can help with current issues.
0
0
0
The fantastic contributions statistics has
f

2
1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 made to our economy and society would

o
-15
bolster the case for science research funding
n
s
immensely. If we aren’t telling the story, it
i
o
i
l
l
is not being told. Clearly, we have a com-
B -30
pelling argument for why Congress should
increase research funding, and statistics is
-45
an important component. Statisticians are
essential to making sure we remain above
-60
the Washington noise barrier and penetrate
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics, U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services.
the Main Street one. n
32 AMSTAT NEWS JUNE 2008
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