Heather Wilson

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638--The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 18 DTRA 0602716Br WMD Defeat Technology.

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is the University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: Requested amount $3.2 Million. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) University Strategic Partnerships (USP) Program began in 2003, and is in the current Department of Defense POM budget at $2 million per year. The program seeds projects at universities in cooperation with divisions throughout DTRA. The typical value of a task contract is $500,000 per year and it primarily funds exploratory projects, with up to several million dollars per year for operational research and development projects. Additional USP funding would allow for additional projects to be initiated and would assist in continuing projects past their initial year by sharing funding between operational divisions of DTRA. New areas of interest at DTRA include multiple projects in biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials science, information sciences, infectious diseases, surveillance, medical sciences, and the modeling and understanding of group behavior. In addition, current projects would move on to a phase two funding with DTRA internal divisions sharing costs. Current projects, as noted above, involve social and physical sciences, engineering, and medical and veterinary sciences.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 15 0603114N Power Projection Advanced Technology.

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is the NM Tech Institute of Mining, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The requested amount is $7.0 Million. The U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Naval Research Laboratory have joined a consortium of research universities, including the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and Cambridge University, in a unique teaming arrangement to build a state of the art observatory in the Magdalena Mountains near Socorro, New Mexico. In support of this program, the strengths of these research organizations and the existing investment in the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) are being leveraged to develop and sustain smart, advanced instrumentation for imaging space objects. This is in support of the existing MRO mission and will advance the capabilities of the observatory, particularly in the area of Space Situational Awareness (SSA).

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 121 OSD 0604940D8Z Central Test And Evaluation Investment Development (CTEIP).

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The amount requested is $5.0 Million. Critical needs to be addressed by UAV Systems Operations and Validation Program under this congressional request include the development of certification requirements for UAV operators in the National Aerospace Systems (both DoD and civilian), development of training programs for UAV operators and designers, and further development of unique surface materials to provide camouflage coatings for small- to mid-sized UAVs. Other key requirements include reliability, standards, interoperability, airspace integration, cost efficiencies, risk reduction, user demands, and aerodynamic and propulsion applications for micro UAVs. Lastly, a flight test center located in civil airspace will be available for federal and civil users.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 13 0602601F Space Technology.

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is the University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The requested amount is $800 thousand. The development of large autonomous and reconfigurable space-based systems is in the interest of national security. Coordination and control of multiple satellites and deployable sensor systems that can automatically plan their interaction toward a common objective is valuable in surveillance applications, coordination of military and relief operations, as well as communications. Successful development of this technology will allow the DoD to conduct space-based surveillance with greater resolution and wider coverage. This technology is also necessary for the generation of solar power in space and the projection of laser beams to enable the transformational communication needs of the DoD. The technology developed and associated educational programs will also support the commercial aerospace industry.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 13 0602601F Space Technology.

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is Goodrich Corporation, 6600 Gulton Ct NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The amount requested is $2.4 Million. This program will enable rapid integration of new technologies and payloads for the Air Force's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program. This will be accomplished by developing a common interface, simplified thermal design and fine grain programmability for avionics related spacecraft hardware. Goodrich SFS' approach significantly reduces recurring system engineering by speeding component integration, providing a common platform for software reuse and auto-code generation. It also allows for hardware design changes up through integration and test and result in a simplified test environment.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 118 OSD 0603757D8Z Training Transformation (T2).

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is NM Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The amount requested is $4.8 Million. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech) acquired the town of Playas, NM, in October 2004 and has converted the town into the Playas Training and Research Center (PTRC). The funding requested herein for FY08 will be used to establish the PTRC as a Joint National Training and Experimentation Site for National Guard Bureau (NGB) active and reserve personnel, as well as for Air National Guard and Army National Guard personnel. Playas is envisioned as becoming an integral portion of the Joint National Training Capability. This program and associated funding for it is under the sponsorship of the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) Joint National

Training Capability (JNTC), since JFCOM/JNTC has been designated as the principal Joint Forces integrator. The requested funding will be used to develop, explore and assess new joint concepts, organizational structures and emerging technologies. The capabilities of Playas will serve Joint Forces Command and National Guard mission area training requirements.

The name of the requesting Member: Heather Wilson.

The bill number: H.R. 2638.

The account: 3 0601153N Defense Research Sciences.

The legal name and address of the requesting entity or in the case of military construction earmarks, the name and address of the military installation; The entity to receive funding for this project is the University of New Mexico, located at 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131.

A description of the earmark including the amount and a spending plan: The amount requested is $2.8 Million. The Long Wavelength Array (LWA), which will be managed by the University of New Mexico, is a very large aperture (400 km) radio astronomy telescope that will be centered on the Plains of San Augustine and extending into southwestern New Mexico. This powerful new instrument will enable scientists to analyze a poorly explored region of the electromagnetic spectrum which will provide research in astrophysics, space physics, space weather, and ionospheric physics. The LWA will be an important research instrument to support critical national security efforts, particularly in the area of developing more accurate models of the ionosphere and its effects on radio and radar propagation.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 476, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

I thank my colleague from Nebraska.

I also wanted to thank my colleague from Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, for joining me in this effort and being the lead cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 163. There are 105 Members of this body who are cosponsors of this resolution, and it's intended to increase awareness of a syndrome that, frankly, before someone came and talked to me about it, I had never heard of. My guess is most of our colleagues have never heard of Dandy-Walker syndrome because it affects a relatively small number of families, but it's a very serious syndrome that deserves attention and research and understanding.

The resolution encourages the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control to do more research on the causes and cures and prevalence of the disease and to encourage education of medical doctors so that it can be quickly and accurately diagnosed.

Even the estimates of the number of children who suffer from Dandy- Walker vary greatly. Somewhere between 10,000 and 40,000 children in America

suffer from this syndrome, and it is very serious and often very difficult to diagnose, a combination of developmental delays, enlarged head circumference, hydrocephalus and seizures, that together define a syndrome that was initially described by a neurosurgeon and professor at the University of New Mexico named Dr. Arthur Walker. He initially described nine cases of what is now known as Dandy-Walker in 1942.

Early detection and diagnosis, accurate diagnosis, is critical for these children, particularly because of the coincidence of hydrocephalus in children, a very serious condition that can result in neurological complications if it's not diagnosed very early in life.

Currently, there are only five researchers in the United States who are focused on Dandy-Walker and trying to understand it, develop treatments, and perhaps eventually develop ways to prevent the disease.

This resolution expresses the sense of the Congress that further research and activities are needed to increase public awareness, to increase professional education, and to make sure physicians and the medical community are aware of what this syndrome's characteristics are so that it can be accurately diagnosed.

It also commends the National Institutes of Health on their first- ever sponsorship of a research workshop focused on hydrocephalus and Dandy-Walker, and acknowledges the need for continued collaboration between different institutes and centers at NIH.

Some of my colleagues have commended me for my leadership on this issue, and I have to demur in that regard. Sometimes I think that the best thing about being a Representative is that you are often the wagon that harnesses the enthusiasm and the passion of others. I would like to recognize where that passion really comes from: Eric Cole and his wife Andrea, who are here in the gallery today. They are the proud parents of Ryan.

The fact is that Eric's dad called me. Eric's dad and I served in the Air Force together, and one time, Captain Don Cole tried to teach me something about politics at the United States Air Force Academy. There are people in this body who would probably disagree as to how well I learned those lessons. But Captain Cole's son is Eric Cole. His grandson is Ryan, and Ryan suffers from Dandy-Walker syndrome.

I want to commend Eric for his leadership, for making a decision to get involved, not only to help his son but to help others who suffer from the same disease. It is because individuals choose to get involved that things change over time.

I would like to place into the Record a letter of support from the March of Dimes in support of this resolution. It's dated June 22, 2007.

Again, I'd like to thank my colleague, Mr. Van Hollen of Maryland, for working with us on this resolution and for his staff member, Ray Thorn, who's been particularly helpful in this process. Also, I would like to recognize two of my colleagues, Mr. Aderholt of Alabama and Mr. Ryan of Ohio, for their support and their encouragement on this resolution.

I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution to move forward on the understanding and the research and the professional education associated with a syndrome that adversely affects close to 40,000 young Americans.

March of Dimes,

Washington, DC, June 22, 2007.

Hon. Heather Wilson,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Wilson: On behalf of more than 3

million volunteers and 1400 staff members of the March of

Dimes Foundation, I am writing to commend you for introducing

H. Con. Res. 163, expressing the sense of Congress in support

of further research and activities to increase public

awareness, professional education, diagnosis and treatment of

Dandy-Walker syndrome and hydrocephalus.

As you may know, in the United States, about 3% of all

babies are born with a major birth defect. Birth defects are

the leading cause of infant mortality accounting for more

than 20% of all infant deaths. Children with birth defects

who survive often experience lifelong physical and mental

disabilities, and are at increased risk for developing other

health problems. In fact, birth defects contribute

substantially to the nation's health care costs. According to

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the

lifetime economic cost of caring for infants born each year

with 1 of the 18 most common birth defects exceeds $8

billion.

Yet, the causes of nearly 70% of birth defects are unknown.

Therefore, March of Dimes is working with Members of Congress

from both sides of the aisle to increase funding for the

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental

Disabilities, with particular focus on the groundbreaking

research being done through the National Birth Defects

Prevention Study. This important CDC initiative is being

carried out by 9 regional Centers for Birth Defects Research

and Prevention. The Centers use medical histories, DNA

samples and data on environmental exposures, and lifestyle

obtained from parents to study gene-environment interactions.

The study has already yielded critical information on certain

birth defects and has been particularly useful in responding

to public health concerns regarding possible links between

medication exposures and birth defects. The study also holds

promise for increasing our understanding of the effects of

medication use during pregnancy.

Increased federal support for birth defects research and

prevention is sorely needed and H. Con. Res. 163 will

heighten awareness and encourage additional federal research

on Dandy-Walker syndrome and other serious birth defects.

Thank you for your leadership to help improve the health of

infants and know that all of us at the March of Dimes look

forward to working with you on this and other initiatives to

improve the health of each and every child.

Sincerely,

Marina L. Weiss,

Senior Vice President,

Public Policy & Government Affairs.