Summary of Alex Dzierba's Meeting

Alex Dzierba visited with Rashid Hallaway - chief legislative aide for Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) to discuss funding issues. The meeting took place in the Russell Bldg in Washington DC at 10 am on April 6. Senator Bayh is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chaired by Sen Pete Domenici.

The attached letter was sent to the Senator prior to the meeting.

The meeting was very productive. I gave Rashid material supplied by Deborah Dowd along with a copy of the American Scientist article describing GlueX physics. Rashid said that Senator Bayh has been speaking out on the need for increased funding for the physical sciences and his concern about the decrease in students interested in the physical sciences and engineering. I asked Rashid to thank the Senator for his signing the letter from Senators Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman to Pete Domenici and his cmte pushing for increased funding for the Office of Science. Indeed the two Indiana senators were among only a handful who had signed the letter at the time of our meeting.

Rashid pointed out that there is a lot of sympathy among members of Congress for increased support of the physical sciences but this view does not seem to be shared by the administration if you look at their budget planning.

Rashid and I promised each other to stay in touch and that the Senator might call on us in the future to testify on behalf of IU and its interests in the physical sciences.