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House Defense Budget Includes Funding for Oregon-Based Organizations

June 21, 2006

Washington, DC - The House of Representatives late yesterday approved legislation including over $13 million for several Oregon-based organizations, including HemCon, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) and the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative. The funding was requested by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), along with several other members of the Oregon Congressional delegation, and included in the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations bill.

“This funding for Oregon research and products highlights the creative and skilled workforce we have in the region,” said Blumenauer. “While this funding is specifically for Defense related items, the research helps develop a base of industry expertise that will help Oregon’s economy with a skilled workforce and cutting edge technologies.”

Included in the legislation is:

· $2.5 million for the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative, a state-wide effort by industry leaders including the Manufacturing 21 Coalition, the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition, the Semiconductor Workforce Coalition, and the Northwest High Performance Enterprise Coalition, designed to strengthen Oregon’s defense manufacturing sector through research and development, worker training, new manufacturing techniques and building the capacity of small businesses to participate in the defense marketplace. A focus of this project is to assist small to medium sized manufacturers to become providers of products to defense customers. The state, local government and industry are committed to this imitative and have contributed significant resources to its implementation.

· $3 million for the U.S. Army to purchase chitosan hemorrhage control dressing for U.S. troops from HemCon, a company located in Tigard, Oregon. According to military physicians, 90% of soldiers killed in war die before they reach a medical facility, most often of blood loss. Wounds to the extremities are considered the main preventable cause of death in military action. Chitosan hemorrhage control dressing, manufactured by HemCon Inc., has already saved the lives of dozens of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army Surgeon General has requested that every soldier deployed to a combat zone carry a HemCon Bandage in their first-aid kit.

· $2 million for ONAMI's Safer Nanoelectronics and Nonometrology initiative which will develop nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing methods to meet the military's need for high performance materials, protect human health, and minimize harm to the environment. Examples of the importance of nanomaterials and manufacturing for military technology include nanoelectronics and nanophotonics, thermoelectric coolers, medical diagnostics and therapeutics, and environmental monitoring and remediation systems. ONAMI is a joint research institute operated by Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Portland State University.

· $1 million for ONAMI to develop Miniature Tactical Energy Systems for a wide range of military applications. Examples include: 1) battlefield energy systems such as personal power systems for the dismounted war fighter, 2) light weight transportable battlefield support energy systems, and 3) energy systems that minimize the logistics requirements of forces in the field.

· $2.5 million for ONAMI’s Nanoelectronics and Nanometrology Initiative that will address future needs in information processing and biosensing while at the same time laying a foundation for future economic development in Oregon. This project will initiate additional research in nanometrology and testing of nanodevices and circuits that will lead to new applications in computing, information processing, and biosensing.

· $300,000 for Silver Eagle Manufacturing as part of a $10 million Future Medical Shelter System project to produce a mobile field hospital developed by the Army’s Medical Research and Material Command. The mobile hospital can be deployed by four soldiers in a half an hour.

· $2 million for Lektro, a company in Warrenton, Oregon, for an assessment of alternatives to diesel and gasoline powered Aircraft Ground Equipment (AGE) for the Air Force. The current fleet of AGE is powered predominantly by diesel and gasoline fuel.

The Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations bill passed the yesterday evening and must now be approved by the United States Senate.

Issues:Education