[mathking]

There is still time to get at least some of this money reinstated. I talked to a couple of friends who are congressional staffers, and they said basically, lots of contacts with lots of legislators. I think the appropriate avenue for convincing is to keep hammering away on the "we need scientists and engineers for the 21st century economy." If they start thinking about this as both education and economic development, we have a better chance.

This budget cycle is going to be REALLY nasty. Funding for the war in Iraq is going to be the issue that makes all others much more nasty and contentious than the normal nasty and contentious process. And the defense budget, when you include all of the supplemental spending for Iraq and Afghanistan is well beyond half a trillion dollars and heading toward $750 million. Which is waymore than all of the non-defense discretionary spending put together. Translation, money is going to be tight. So it would likely behoove those of us worried about funding for educational programs like this to stress the bipartisan nature of such funding. It benefits everyone. This is the kind of spending that can get reinstated if enough legislators on both sides think it is worthwhile.