2014 Federal Agenda

Federal Agenda

2014

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA

To the Members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation and their staff: We are grateful to the Alabama Congressional delegation for their leadership on many issues critical to the Huntsville/Madison County region, especially those concerning our Nation’s defense and space policies. With our delegation’s support, our nation continues to be a world economic and technological leader and our region continues to prosper as a science and technology powerhouse.

Listed below is a summary of the most critical federal issues facing our region. Additional information regarding these issues and a number of other important federal programs and issues that have significant local and national impact is included in an accompanying Issue Book.

Thank you from the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

U.S. Human Space Flight & Exploration Policy The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 calls for the development of a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System (SLS) to explore beyond Low Earth Orbit, and to serve as a backup transportation system to the International Space Station (ISS).

More than 3,600 local jobs are currently supporting the SLS and ISS. A smooth transition to the follow-on Space Launch System and recognition of MSFC’s National leadership role in space transportation systems development is critical to a healthy MSFC and its surrounding Redstone community.

Requested Action: • Full funding for the Space Launch System and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle at current appropriations levels will ensure that Space Launch System funding is focused toward the development of the flight vehicle and not ground processing systems and facilities.

Also, Congress should ensure that Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle test flights are not financed with Space Launch System funds.

• Ensure that the Space Launch System is ultimately capable of delivering at least 130 metric tons to Low Earth Orbit, is in service by no later than 2017, develops the core and upper stages in parallel, and is focused on enabling beyond Earth orbit applications as soon as possible.

• Support the SLS advanced booster and advanced development efforts as a means of bringing more affordable solutions to NASA. • Urge Congress to ensure that NASA does not re-direct funding from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew.

• Support Marshall’s leadership role in the management of the Space Launch System and its National role in enabling future government and commercial space transportation systems.

• Support core MSFC operations by fully funding NASA’s Cross Agency Support budget line item.

• Support continued funding and extension of the International Space Station to realize its full potential, including the MSFC mission carried out through the ISS Operations Support Center.

• Maintain and enhance MSFC’s critically important roles in Earth, Space, and Planetary Science research and applications.

Space and Air/Missile Defense Mission Area America requires a robust space and air/missile defense architecture composed of highly sophisticated capabilities that are networked and integrated from earth to space. Systems include; space-based sensors/communications, ground-based ballistic missile defenses, ground-based air defenses, and Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar defenses. The Huntsville aerospace and defense industry provides the core of the intellectual, technical and production capabilities necessary to meet our nation’s needs today and well into the future. Combat experience over the past decade, combined with rapidly evolving threats, reinforce the need for a fully integrated space and air/missile defense architecture that is responsive, resilient and lethal against current and future enemy threats. Supporting our National Defense and interests at home and overseas, requires a strong space and air/missile defense posture.

Meeting these obligations requires a strong aerospace and defense industry that is agile, robust and visionary.

Community Impact: More than 8,000 local jobs are tied to various missile defense programs.

Requested Action: Sustain full funding for these critical programs.

Biotechnology Over the past five years, biotechnology has become a part of the fabric of the Huntsville-Madison County economy. Through the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a non-profit research organization, and the companies located throughout Madison County, this industry has brought dollars, jobs and recognition to our community. HudsonAlpha has generated discoveries that impact disease diagnosis and treatment, created intellectual property and fostered biotechnology companies. The areas of federally funded research at the institute include neurological diseases, psychiatric disorders, childhood genetic disorders, multiple types of cancer, bioenergy and agriculture. On the HudsonAlpha biotech campus alone, the economic impact of the life sciences and genomicsbased work has exceeded $150 million since the Institute’s inception. The area’s colleges and universities are not only creating a workforce for the biosciences, but are conducting research that has national impact. In addition to the 25 companies residing on HudsonAlpha’s campus, the Huntsville-Madison County area has innovative life science companies that are working in therapeutics,

FEDERAL AGENDA, continued science services and product development. Many of these life science companies are leveraging HudsonAlpha’s expertise in genomics and bioinformatics to commercialize the discoveries and advancements sourced from federal funding.

National Impact: Through the years, the United States has led the world in the advancement of diagnostics and therapies for human health. In order to maintain this leadership role, scientific research funding must remain robust and reliable. Funding through the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, among others, allows for innovation and commercialization in technologies and treatments in numerous diseases and disorders that lead to improved quality of life and increased employment in this field.

Economic impact studies continue to show significant return on the investment of federal research funding. As federal research budgets are lessened, however, the advances are slowed as well.

This slows the breakthroughs in treatment of our most difficult diseases and also decelerates economic growth.

Community Impact: Federal funding of scientific research has diversified and strengthened the economy in our region.

HudsonAlpha has translated many of the discoveries from basic research into commercial applications such as biomarkers and technologies in disease detection. Basic research through federal funding has a direct economic benefit for the Huntsville-Madison County area through job growth, a stronger and more diversified tax base and the advancement of the area’s biosciences economy.

Requested Action: The Chamber urges the members of the congressional delegation to work with their colleagues to minimize the impact of sequestration on scientific research and increase federal funding for scientific research through the NIH, DOE and DOD.

Support Army Aviation S&T Funding Over the past decade Army Aviation has executed more than six million flight hours in multiple theaters of operation performing a wide range of critical missions for ground combat commanders. In the future, Army Aviation will continue to be a critical enabler to the Ground Commander. It should be noted that no new combat helicopter has entered service in nearly 30 years. Two Aviation S&T Programs are critical to improve current capabilities and develop our next generation rotorcraft. These programs are the Improved Turbine Engine (ITE), and the Future Vertical Lift (FVL). The ITE will be a new 3,000 Shaft Horse Power turbo shaft engine that will replace the T700 family of engines for the UH-60 BLACK HAWK and AH-64 Apache fleets, which comprise 75% of the total Army helicopter fleet. The ITE provides significantly increased operational capability, fuel efficiency, range and payload to meet Army mission requirements. The FVL concept, which ultimately plans to engineer a light, medium and heavy fleet of future aircraft, is starting with a medium-lift attack/utility variant. The focus of FVL is to get at the three major tenets: (1) improve the performance, (2) improve the survivability and (3) significantly reduce the operating cost. The FVL, will conduct a first flight in 2017 as a series of first steps toward developing a next-generation fleet of helicopters. The DOD plans to begin fielding a new fleet of next-generation helicopters by 2030.

Requested Action: Increase and support Aviation S&T funding at a level that allows the Army to keep the current fleet technologically relevant as well as invest in future capabilities that maintains the Nation’s position as a leader in Aviation technology and capabilities.

Infrastructure Requested Action: The economic success of our region is reliant upon effective transportation networks that can successfully convey commuters, freight and services that are vital for continued growth and development. We request that the following projects be funded: • U.S. 72 East/ARC Corridor V from Shields Road eastward to the county line. Requested Action: Funding be allocated and appropriated through any remaining ARC dedicated monies and any eligible MAP-21 funds as soon as possible to fund this much needed corridor.

• U.S. 231 North and South Overpasses and Corridor Improvements. Requested action: Funding these identified projects as soon as possible to improve this much needed corridor.

• Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Northern Bypass Interchange at Memorial Parkway to Highway 72 East.

Requested Action: Fund $30 million for this construction project.

• Research Park Boulevard from I-565 to North of US 72.

Requested Action: Fund this improvement project in the amount of $30 million.

• I-565/Research Park Boulevard Interchange Modification at Gate 9. Requested Action: Fund this project in the amount of $80 million.

State Education Standards The Huntsville/Madison County business community supports the voluntary adoption at the state level of consistent and rigorous education standards that provide assurance of a high-quality education across the state and across the country. The Alabama State Board of Education has adopted the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, which are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. While we believe that consistent and rigorous standards such as the Common Core State Standards are vital to our nation’s defense and success, we recognize that education is a right retained by the states.

National Impact: Based on test scores from the Program for International Student Achievement (PISA), the United States’ position in education is not consistent with its role as the economic and defense super power. To ensure ongoing national security and to sustain and grow our economic position, we must achieve gains in student achievement across the country.

Community Impact: The high-tech aerospace and defense economy of Huntsville/Madison County relies on a well-educated workforce, and our workforce demands high-quality public education for its students. The local business community has overwhelmingly endorsed the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards that are in place in our public schools. The educational and financial impact of rejecting the current standards and subsequently adopted curriculum and materials would be devastating.

Requested Action: We ask the delegation to support Alabama’s right to adopt education standards without interference from the federal government and to recognize that Alabama and other states are free to enter into agreements on mutual standards without jeopardizing state sovereignty.