NPI Applauds Announcement of Congressional Optics & Photonics Caucus

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 24, 2021) – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, today applauded the announcement of a new Congressional Optics & Photonics Caucus. The bipartisan, bicameral Caucus will be chaired by Representatives Joe Morelle (D-NY) and Brian Mast (R-FL) and Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Steve Daines (R-MT). It will also serve as a Congressional voice for the advancement of optics and photonics as well as a bridge to administration offices focused on workforce development and research and development in this dynamic area of discovery.

“The National Photonics Initiative strongly supports the formation of the Congressional Optics & Photonics Caucus and applauds the efforts of Representatives Morelle and Mast and Senators Sinema and Daines for their leadership as Chairs,” said Ed White, Chair of the NPI Steering Committee and Vice President Test, Assembly and Packaging for AIM Photonics. “This Caucus will be a valuable tool for members and staff seeking to learn more about the dynamic possibilities of optics and photonics. It will also give our community a stronger voice in Congress as we work to educate policymakers on the many ways optics and photonics can be used to confront challenges ranging from health care delivery to agriculture to infrastructure development. We look forward to working with the Caucus members in their effort to increase the federal use of optics and photonics applications on issues of importance to the U.S.”
 

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About the NPI: The National Photonics Initiative (NPI) is a collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of photonics and the impact of photonics on our everyday lives; increase cooperation and coordination among US industry, government and academia to advance photonics-driven fields; and drive US funding and investment in areas of photonics critical to maintaining US economic competitiveness and national security. The initiative is being led by top scientific societies including the American Physical Society (APS), the IEEE Photonics Society, the Laser Institute of America (LIA), The Optical Society (OSA) and SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics. For more information visit www.lightourfuture.org.