WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) called the 2019 Defense Appropriations bill passed by the Senate Thursday “an investment in Maryland and the R&D we do better than anyone else for America’s military.”

Senator Cardin: “I was pleased that the Senate approved my amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate the Navy, Air Force, and Army’s investment for energetics research, like what is being done at and in support of the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center. My amendment requires DOD to develop a roadmap on how the Services plan to continue to invest in next generation energetics research. From rocket motors and torpedo fuel to ejector seats, current and emerging energetics technology provides both power and enhanced safety to our service men and women.

“Overall, the Senate-passed Defense Appropriations bill bolsters Maryland’s research & development programs that keep our warfighters on the technological edge worldwide. From Indian Head to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Pax River to Ft. Detrick, as well as the laboratories at Johns Hopkins University and growing businesses like Brainscope, Maryland-based researchers bringing more power and safety to the battlefield as well as the home front. With the support of the federal government, Marylanders are breaking new ground with advances in cyber and high-performance computing, medical research on traumatic brain injuries and reconstruction of limbs for our wounded warriors, and much more.

“As the Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, it was a priority for me that we gained full funding for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which increase the utilization of small, high technology firms in federal research and development. Small businesses are often underrepresented in government R&D programs.”

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