“Taken from House Report 103-552
FY 1995 House Report…”

TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY/OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

The Committee recommends $10,000,000 for the Technology Administration. This amount is a reduction of $1,237,000 from the budget request and is $4,300,000 more than the amount appropriated for the current fiscal year.

The Committee is supportive of the efforts of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology and the Office of Technology Policy in developing and implementing strategies to enable U.S. industry to fully realize the commercial benefits of new technology. Because this organization has the lead Federal responsibility for interacting with U.S. industry, it is in a position to best gauge industry's long-range requirements for improving productivity and increasing competitiveness.

The Committee notes the critical role that basic manufacturing and value-added production play in the Nation's competitiveness. As the Technology Administration carries out its assessment of the health of the manufacturing base and develops benchmarks for its continued measurement, the Committee encourages increased focus on the competitiveness needs of geographically dispersed basic manufacturers. The Committee expects the Under Secretary for Technology to determine how the current focus of the Commerce Department's technology development and deployment programs meet the requirements of these traditional industrial sectors. The Committee expects the Under Secretary to report to the Committee by January 1, 1995, on the findings of this initial assessment, and to include any recommendations for incorporating these findings into the ongoing planning process for the Manufacturing Extension Program and, if appropriate, the Advanced Technology Program greatest extent possible in Technology Administration endeavors, including current plans for the electronic management of the agency's functions and implementation of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

The Committee endorses the Department's support of the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission, and expects the Technology Administration to devote the appropriate resources to this project.