Lab directors, NNSA administrator speak at Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing

March 31, 2011—Laboratory Director Michael Anastasio, NNSA Administrator Tom D'Agostino, and the directors of Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories spoke on March 30 to the Senate Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces about President Obama's fiscal year 2012 budget request.

In his comments, Anastasio talked about the elements he believes are important for Los Alamos to remain a healthy and vital national laboratory that meets the national security needs of the country. "At the fundamental level, the Laboratory needs the best scientists, engineers, technicians and support staff that can work in multi-disciplinary teams on national security science challenges facing the country," said Anastasio.

He also told committee members that the following elements form a strong foundation for the Laboratory:

• a strong national commitment to compelling national security missions
• stable and adequate funding
• diverse and broad cutting-edge scientific programs, which attract the best and brightest scientific talent
• tools, facilities, and infrastructure to accomplish them—such as the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, the proposed Matter Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE) facility, and exascale computing, among others.

"If all the above elements are in place, the nation will be able to reap the benefits of a healthy Los Alamos," said Anastasio.

Read the full text of Anastasio's prepared comments.

Read D’Agostino’s statement and the statements of the Sandia and Livermore directors.