Mar 10, 2011
Jeopardy! Honors Argonne National Laboratory While Reps…
Jeopardy! Honors Argonne National Laboratory While Reps. Judy Biggert (IL-13), Peter Roskam (IL-06), Randy Hultgren (IL-14) Push for Cuts that Threaten Its Future
In the spirit of Jeopardy! honoring Argonne National Laboratory as a category today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following Jeopardy! style-question:
Answer: As the budget negotiations continue, these Members of Congress are currently pushing for dangerous cuts that would harm Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and layoff thousands of Illinois workers.
Question: Who are Representatives Judy Biggert (IL-13), Peter Roskam (IL-06) , Randy Hultgren (IL-14)?
According to Argonne National Laboratory, Jeopardy! will devote an entire category to the lab featuring video-footage clues and also include a segment highlighting Argonne’s research. The future of the lab, however, hangs in the balance as Representatives Biggert, Roskam, and Hultgren continue to push for extreme cuts that the lab directors, local leaders, and scientists overwhelmingly oppose. It is estimated that the proposed cuts would mean more than 1,000 staff and contractor layoffs at Argonne Lab and 400 staff layoffs at Femilab. In addition, companies like Eli Lilly have opened the possibility of moving overseas should the labs be forced to make significant cuts.
In case Representatives Biggert, Roskam, and Hultgren would like to tune in, Argonne will be featured on Jeopardy! this afternoon at 3:30 PM CST on ABC.
Background
Biggert, Roskam, and Hultgren voted to cut funding to Fermilab. Hultgren voted for final passage of HR 1, the Republican-sponsored continuing resolution that cut $60 billion from the federal budget, including cuts to the Department of Energy. [HR 1, Vote #147, 2/18/11]
Argonne and Fermilab directors called the cuts and subsequent job losses “unprecedented.” In a February 2011 op-ed in the Chicago Tribune, Directors Pier Oddone and Eric Isaacs of Fermi and Argonne National Accelerator Labs, respectively, said that the House’s budget would reduce both labs' current budgets be reduced by $83 million at Fermilab and $110 million at Argonne while requiring the furlough of 1,900 employees, and layoffs for more than 1,000 others. They called the cutbacks “unprecedented.” [Chicago Tribune, 2/25/11]
Local Leaders denounced the cuts to the labs. In March 2011, the Darien City Council voted to approve a resolution denouncing proposed federal funding cuts to Argonne. Darien Mayor Kathleen Weaver said she felt it was important that the community take a stand on the issue and reach out to lawmakers. [Darien Patch, 3/08/11]
Cut means thousands of jobs lost at Argonne National Lab. Cuts included in the Republican House’s continuing resolution would reduce the Department of Energy’s Office of Science budget by 20 percent and cause Argonne National Laboratory to layoff more than 1,000 of its employees. Another 2,000 jobs at contractors and subcontractors for the Darien-area lab also would be lost. [Chicago Business, 2/18/11]
Cut means 400 jobs lost at Fermilab. Cuts included in the Republican House’s continuing resolution would reduce the Department of Energy’s Office of Science budget by 20 percent and cause Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to layoff 400 of its employees as well as shut down all accelerators immediately, stop buying materials and delay projects. [Kane County Chronicle, 2/18/11]
Cut means other companies might be forced to move overseas. Stephen Wasserman, a chemist with Eli Lilly, said if Argonne loses its funding, the company would have to rethink where it does its work and would have to look into other countries. [Daily Herald, 3/02/11]
Argonne to be featured on Jeopardy! on March 10. On March 10, Jeopardy! will air a show featuring an entire category featuring clues filmed at Argonne as well as feature a segment detailing the lab’s research during a commercial break. The show will air at 3:30 p.m. CST on ABC; for other areas, check local listings. [Argonne National Laboratory Press Release, 3/08/11]
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