The APS Washington Office promotes the interests of the physics community by working with federal policymakers to advance APS policy positions. Critical to this effort is the active involvement of the APS membership. Activities planned for 2001 include letter writing and phone-in campaigns, a Congressional Visits Day scheduled for May 1, and congressional receptions. If you are interested in participating in APS advocacy activities contact Francis Slakey (Associate Director of Public Affairs) or Christina Hood (Public Affairs Fellow) at: opa@aps.org or 202/662-8700. The APS has adopted, through a majority vote of the Council, the following policy positions:

• NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE The United States should delay deployment of the planned NMD system until it is shown - through analysis and intercept tests - to be effective against the types of countermeasures that an attacker could be expected to deploy.
• THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY The United States should ratify the CTBT. Fully informed technical studies have concluded that continued nuclear testing is not required to retain confidence in the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent.
• SUSTAINABLE ENERGY The United States should support investments and policies that ensure a broad range of energy options. Low-cost oil resources outside the Persian Gulf are being depleted. Energy-related urban air pollution is a world-wide threat to health. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are climbing. Innovations and environmental policies are necessary for the sake of our national security, environmental well-being, and standard of living.
• THE FEDERAL SUPPORT OF RESEARCH The United States should double the research budgets of the federal science agencies and maintain a balanced research portfolio. The ability of science to contribute to the nation's economic growth and security depends critically on agencies such as NSF and DOE. In particular, the DOE Office of Science constructs and operates most of the nation's major science facilities.
• K-12 SCIENCE AND MATH EDUCATION The United States should increase targeted funding for science and mathematics education, particularly programs that provide teachers with quality preparation, resources, and professional development. Students must have a strong science education to compete in a high-tech economy.