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Research ‘abysmal,’ Snyder tells local Rotary Club |
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008 |
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Congressman Vic Snyder said Tuesday that the United States “is doing an abysmal job in investing in research.”  Congressman Vic Snyder, D-Ark., speaks to the Benton-Bauxite Rotary Club on Tuesday.
Snyder addressed members of the Benton-Bauxite Rotary Club, who were amused that Snyder, a Democrat, was invited to speak by Charles Mazander, a longtime Republican in Saline County.
Snyder, who represents District 2 in the U.S. House of Representatives, discussed the value of research, foreign policy and the overall mood in the nation’s capital during this presidential election year.
“The current administration has not valued research like it should, and we’re selling the country short,” Snyder said.
He said research is important for reasons ranging from veterans affairs to general quality of life.
To underfund research is not a good thing, especially during this time when the nation is at war, Snyder said. Medical research is vital for men and women who serve the country, he said, noting the onset of traumatic brain injury.
People may ask, ‘“What does research have to do with my life?’” Snyder said. But the point of research is to discover new things, “so we may not know yet. That’s the nature of research. We might find things out that could be helpful in a dramatic way.”
The nation’s abilities to enhance technological innovations is important to the future, Snyder said. “We have the edge and we will sell it to the world,” he said.
Another area in which research is needed is energy efficiency, the congressman said. For example, he said, “gas prices may not affect the people in this room, but for some people, they have to change how they live because of the price of gas.”
Speaking from his position last year as chairman of the foreign policy and military personnel subcommittee, Snyder said issues discussed included the things standing in the way of the nation’s goals in Iraq.
He suggested that different federal agencies should work together more to reach those goals. “Agencies get caught up in their worlds,” he said, and it’s especially important for the State Department to work with the agriculture department, for example.
Echoing a speech given by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Snyder said if the budget for the State Department isn’t dramatically increased, the nation’s efforts will be hurt dramatically.
On Washington, Snyder said major issues like health care are being pushed aside in this election cycle, and “the small stuff is getting magnified.”
“We still have stuff to get done. We’re still a nation at war,” he said, noting the country faces “real challenges” with the economy and Medicare.
Snyder is seeking re-election with no opposition.
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