May 11, 2022

Duckworth Reinforces Support for Illinois Being an Innovation Leader During Meeting with Fermilab’s First Woman Director

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Dr. Lia Merminga, the new and first woman director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). During the meeting, Duckworth discussed her ongoing priorities including federal support for the lab’s cutting-edge research projects, as well as the United States Innovation and Competition Act that would help maintain our nation’s position as a global science, technology and manufacturing leader, strengthen the work of National Laboratories and protect jobs in the science discovery industry.

“Illinois’s own Fermilab is a crown jewel of American innovation at the forefront of cutting-edge science,” Duckworth said. “It was good to meet with Director Merminga, congratulate her on her new role and speak about how I’m working on the federal level to keep supporting the laboratory. Every day, hundreds of scientists and engineers at Fermilab dedicate their expertise to scientific discovery and answering some of the world’s most complicated questions; federal investment is critical to helping ensure they are successful and that the United States remains a leader in science.”

Duckworth has been a strong supporter of the network of Department of Energy National Labs, particularly Illinois’s own Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. Senator Duckworth recently wrote a letter along with Senators Durbin, Rounds and Thune, to the Office of Management and Budget and Department of Energy in support of Fermilab’s LBNF/DUNE, the world’s leading neutrino experiment, which helped secure a more competitive cost schedule, making this project a national priority. Last year, she helped secure a bipartisan amendment to the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, to invest $17 billion in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories and User Facilities.

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