2014 CVD Registration is Open

IEEE-USA’s annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD) will be held this year on March 25 & 26 in Washington, DC. Any and all IEEE members who are concerned about declining federal investments in basic research, our national labs and our research universities is encouraged to attend.

The CVD offers concerned IEEE members an opportunity to meet directly with your members of Congress and their staff in Washington. This annual event is a crucial part of IEEE-USA’s ongoing efforts to protect federal investments in science and engineering.

These efforts are especially crucial in 2014. After three years of tight federal budgets, Congress is looking for additional programs to cut. Basic research and R&D have so far survived the first few rounds of budget cuts with only modest reductions. But that may be about to change. Programs that the public doesn’t know much about or that can be cut without doing immediate damage to too many people are prime targets. R&D fits the bill perfectly. While R&D is vitally important to America’s long-term economic prosperity, the fact is, should Congress cut the programs, the country won’t feel the impact of these cuts for a few years.

And how many Americans know we have national labs, let alone how they contribute to the country?

If IEEE members want Congress to protect the basic research and R&D budgets, we need to speak up and make sure Congress knows how valuable these programs are to us and our country.

There is simply no better way to get a legislator’s attention than to have a voter come to Washington and ask for the legislator’s support. Especially in an election year.

All IEEE members are welcome and encouraged to attend this year’s CVD. To join your colleagues from across the country, go here to learn more and to register: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/cvd/

If you would like to speak with your members of Congress, but can’t come to Washington, there may be opportunities to hold meetings in your local area. Please contact IEEE-USA staffer Russ Harrison to find out, or if you have other questions about this year’s CVD. Russ can be reached at r.t.harrison@ieee.org or (202) 530-8326.