MEDIA CONTACTS:    Bill Wicker, 202/224-5243 (Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM)

                                          John Ullyot, 202/224-6290 (Chairman John Warner, R-VA)

New technologies provide new capabilities that allow the U.S. intelligence community to protect our nation against an array of threats.  These threats -- from terror attacks to countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction -- present an ever-expanding research and development (R&D) challenge.  Current efforts to reorganize the U.S. intelligence community also may offer new opportunities for leveraging Federal R&D programs to boost this core component of national security.

Reporters are invited to a luncheon briefing this Friday, March 11, in which experts will offer an overview of how the Federal intelligence agencies are partnering to develop a coordinated, cohesive R&D plan that will maximize research dollars.

SEN. JOHN WARNER and SEN. JEFF BINGAMAN will welcome the experts and offer introductory remarks.  Sen. Warner is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Select Committee on Intelligence.  Sen. Bingaman co-chairs the bipartisan Senate Science & Technology Caucus.  Panelists include Dr. John Phillips, intelligence community chief technology officer and the CIA’s top scientist (moderating); Dr. Eric Haseltine, associate director of research, National Security Agency; and Dr. Jaan Loger, director of InnoVision, National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency.

The briefing, hosted by the Science & Technology Caucus and the American Chemical Society, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Dirksen 106.  Please RSVP to 202/872-8725 or science_congress@acs.org.  And be prepared to blow your cover: you’ll be asked for your name, affiliation, phone number and e-mail.

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Bill Wicker

Democratic Communications Director

Senate Energy & Natural Resources

202.224.5243