Building Careers and Shaping Public Policy

07 October 2003

The Honorable Daniel Akaka
United States Senate
141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Akaka:

I am writing on behalf of the IEEE-USA to urge prompt passage of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (S. 189). This broadly supported bipartisan legislation promises to create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in our economy in the future as nanotechnologies are commercialized.

Nanotechnology will impact every aspect of our lives, from defense, to energy generation, to medicine, water treatment and agriculture, and to the methods and curricula that are used to educate our children. For these reasons it is critical that the U.S. Government and its agencies provide the leadership and support for this emerging technology.

The Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (H.R. 766) passed the House of Representatives with a 405-19 vote, and the Senate Bill, S.189 was passed by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The IEEE-USA applauds the efforts of the Congress to address this important area of science and technology, and to ensure that the United States remain a world leader in nanotechnology.

IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc, created in 1973 to advance the public good, while promoting the careers and public policy interests of the 235,000 electrical, electronics, computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of the IEEE. The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society. For more information, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org. If you have any questions, please contact IEEE-USA staff Bill Williams at 202-530-8331 or at Bill.Williams@ieee.org.

Sincerely,

Jim V. Leonard, P.E. 
2003 President, IEEE-USA

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