Press Release: Foster Praises Investment in Science and Public Health Crises in the Federal Budget

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) praised funding included in the federal budget for science and public health crises. The continuing resolution allocates money for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermilab located in Naperville, Illinois. The funding measure also includes $1.1 billion funding for Zika, and $37 million for opioid and heroin addiction treatment.

"I am pleased that construction of the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermilab will move forward. This facility will ensure that the United States remains the leader in scientific research and training," Congressman Foster said. "I am, however, disappointed that Republicans did not allocate more money to combat the Zika virus and opioid and heroin overdoses. Both are public health crises that require prompt attention from lawmakers. The opioid and heroin epidemic in particular affects too many people in my district and deserves our highest attention."

Congressman Foster has worked to ensure construction of the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) since 2015. The preparatory work is planned to begin in 2017. The project will install liquid-argon neutrino detectors, and it will help physicists explore supernovae and proton decay.

Congressman Foster is the only Ph.D. scientist serving in the United States Congress. Prior to serving in Congress, he spent 25 years at Fermilab working as a high energy particle physicist and accelerator designer.