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Foster Leads National Labs Caucus Congressional Delegation to California

August 12, 2019

BERKELEY, CA – This week, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) will lead a congressional delegation on a tour of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and SLAC Accelerator Laboratory in California. Foster will be joined by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA).

As co-chair of the National Labs Caucus in the 116th Congress, Congressmen Foster is committed to raising awareness about the importance of America's 17 national laboratories for economic growth, national security, and U.S. leadership in scientific and technological innovation. This is the second congressional delegation trip of the National Labs Caucus. In addition to Congressmen Foster, the House National Labs Caucus is co-chaired by Congressmen Ben Ray Luján, Chuck Fleischmann, and Lee Zeldin.

The tour will include site visits to:

  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – brings together multidisciplinary teams of researchers and creates world-class tools for scientific discovery, including the Advanced Light Source, Exascale computing, and the Molecular Foundry.
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – ensures the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent. The CODEL coincides with the 10th anniversary of the National Ignition Facility, the largest and most energetic laser facility ever built.
  • SLAC Accelerator Laboratory – pushes the frontiers of human knowledge and drives discoveries that benefit humankind. Its two-mile-long particle accelerator generates the world's brightest X-rays for its revolutionary X-ray laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source.

"As the only PhD physicist in Congress and an employee of a Department of Energy national laboratory for over 20 years, I know the important work that our national labs perform every day to advance science and innovation in the United States," Foster said. "I am proud to join my colleagues to get a firsthand look at these facilities and meet with the men and women who do vital work here every day that keeps our country safer. If we are serious about maintaining America's national security and leadership in scientific discovery, we need to make significant and stable investments in the world-leading scientific infrastructure that is in use every day at our national labs, including here in California."

"The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has pushed the boundaries of human knowledge since 1962 and has been the home of six Nobel Laureates over its storied history," Rep. Eshoo said. "It's an honor to have my Congressional colleagues visit my District to tour SLAC and have them learn about the ground-breaking research that happens every day in my Silicon Valley community."

"The research and development being done at our national labs helps to ensure America's position as a global leader in scientific innovation and advancement," said McNerney. "Throughout my career in wind energy, I worked at and with our national labs in a technical role. I am excited to tour these facilities with my National Labs Caucus colleagues. Since coming to Congress, I have advocated and supported substantial and sustained investments in the federal government's R&D, and I look forward to meeting the men and women undertaking this critical work."

Congressman Foster represents Argonne National Laboratory as part of the 11th Congressional District of Illinois. Prior to serving in Congress, he spent 23 years as a high energy particle physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, IL. He was part of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter.