Administered by the Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation, the requested funding would impact programs at ORNL for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a joint international research and development project that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power. Congress did not include the requested funding in the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that was signed into law in December.

"Not including this funding to begin with is an embarrassing mistake by Congress," Alexander said. "We're at a time when gasoline costs three dollars a gallon and climate change is all the talk, and we don't fund our part of the effort to create unlimited energy with no environmental consequences? Congress should fund these programs like it said it would and be a leader in encouraging such endeavors rather than undermining them. Oak Ridge is the center of this activity, but it's not just important to Oak Ridge and East Tennessee, it's important to the whole country and the rest of the world."

"If additional funds are included in the emergency spending bill, funding for the important work at Oak Ridge should be a priority," said Corker. "It is critical, for example, that we provide appropriate funding for ITER so we can keep the project on target and uphold the commitments we've made to our international partners."

The senators said that this funding would provide the funds to stay on track with the goals of the America COMPETES Act of 2007, which was signed into law by President Bush on August 9, 2007. The America COMPETES Act focuses on two primary areas of importance to maintaining and improving U.S. innovation in the 21st century: increasing research investment; and strengthening educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school. It puts research programs at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science on a path to double their budgets during the next decade.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the lead national laboratory coordinating U.S. participation in the ITER Project, which is an important effort to develop fusion as a possible new clean source of electricity, as well as a long-term symbol of international science collaboration. The U.S. signed an ITER agreement with its partners - the European Union, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Russia - committing to provide funding for people and equipment for the project. In addition to endangering Oak Ridge's lead role on the project, failure to contribute U.S. funds by the end of Fiscal Year 2008 could "call into question our commitment to our other international obligations," according to a response from the U.S. State Department to a letter from Senators Alexander and Corker to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In addition, it could trigger a default clause in the ITER agreement, costing American taxpayers over $750 million.

The letter states, in part, "ITER is a multinational scientific project and has been one of the Office of Science's top priorities for the last several years. The President's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2008 included $160 million for the project. It is imperative that Congress appropriate supplemental funding for ITER as soon as possible to keep our commitments to our interntional partners, keep this important project on track, and avoid losses in scientific talent among U.S.-based employees working on ITER."

In addition to Alexander and Corker, the letter was also signed by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The letter was sent to Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations and to Sen. Thad Cochran, Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee.

Copies of the letter are available from Fusion Power Associates.