Posted 4/19/2012 12:02:46 AM
The mission of NIST is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. For more than 100 years, NIST has maintained the national standards of measurement, a role that the U.S. Constitution assigns to the Federal Government. Today, the NIST Laboratories address increasingly complex measurement challenges, developing measurements focusing on the very small (e.g. nanotechnology devices) and the very large (e.g. skyscrapers), the physical (e.g. methods for characterizing strands of DNA for forensic testing) and the virtual (e.g. methods for testing electronic health record systems). NIST engages in activities that support trade and global science; provide industry and academia with unique user facilities, and supports development of standards and specifications that define technical and performance requirements for goods and services.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 5 of the Constitution authorizes the Congress to “fix the Standard of Weights and Measures”. Therefore, the Office of Weights and Measures is constitutionally justified. However, this is not enough to justify an entire department. Therefore I propose moving the Office of Weights and Measures into the new Department of Internal Affairs, along with all the other internal programs which are authorized but whose departments are not.
Science, technology, economic security, quality of life, health records, nanotechnology, DNA, forensic testing, industry, academia, specifications, and technical and performance requirements are not government issues; the remainder of the institute is unconstitutional.
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
Through public (Federal-state-local) and private sector partnerships, MEP provides technical and business assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturers through a network of centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The request includes $128 million for MEP, roughly the same level as in FY 2012.
The government should not provide any assistance to any businesses. States and territories should tax their own people to run their own programs.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech)
The request includes $21.0 million for the new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) program, which will provide grants to leverage existing consortia or establish new industry-led consortia. These consortia will develop road-maps of critical long-term industrial research needs as well as fund research at leading universities and government laboratories directed at meeting these needs. This new program would be based on NIST’s experience with the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) partnership and would expand and improve on that model.
Eliminate all federal grants. The development of roadmaps, industrial research, education, and electronics on any scale are not government issues, and thus such programs are unauthorized.
Construction of Research Facilities (CRF)
NIST’s CRF appropriation supports projects for new buildings and renovation and maintenance of current buildings and laboratories. The CRF account includes an increase of $4.6 Million over the FY2012 enacted appropriations for a total request of $60 Million. Within this total, $48.2 Million is for the Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major Repairs account and $11.8 Million is to fund ongoing work for the Building 1 Renovation project in Boulder, Colorado.
If we eliminate NIST, then NIST no longer requires any buildings or other facilities. Thus there is nothing to build, maintain, repair, or renovate. If the OWM requires such projects, then finance them as such in its new home under the Department of Internal Affairs.