H.R. 3326 Passes the House by Ovewhelming Margin - Could Mean Jobs for PA

July 31, 2009

H.R. 3326 Passes the House by Overwhelming Margin – Could Mean Jobs for PA

Washington, D.C. – The Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2010 passed the House of Representatives 300-40 on July 30, 2009.

Should this bill pass the Senate, and be signed into law by the President, several communities in Pennsylvania’s 5th District will benefit, thanks to the hard working efforts of Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard.

Congressman Thompson is hopeful that job creation and positive economic conditions will result.

Thompson included $2 million in Research, Test, Development and Evaluation funds for the domestic production of nanodiamond by NanoBlox of Clarion. NanoBlox estimates this will create 10 new jobs.

Current sources of the nanodiamond material are available in China and Russia. “These funds will allow the United States to continue to be an independent producer of the nanodiamond material. We cannot be dependent upon the goodwill of other nations when it comes to materials for military applications; the military will be well served by creating a domestic source of this strategic and tactical material”, said Thompson.

Nanodiamond is a diamond material that originates from a detonation. “NanoBlox of Clarion will be a great addition to the local economy and will help attract other technology related businesses to the County,” Commissioner Donna Hartle said.

Another city in the 5th Congressional District to benefit from the passing of HR 3326 is Bellefonte. Thompson announced that $500,000 in Research, Test, Development and Evaluation funds for Piezo Resonance Innovations, Inc. (PRII), to further develop a battlefield ready feeding tube cleaning device.

Currently, PRII is using a National Science Foundation Grant. “These funds will allow further development of a practical application to help save the lives of our injured soldiers”, said Thompson, a former rehabilitation therapist.

PRII will work in conjunction with Penn State School of Nursing Experts and the US Army Medical Department (AMEDD).

“The US Military will be well served with the development of this device and I am glad a local firm will be on the forefront of this cutting-edge technology. I applaud the team at Piezo Resonance Innovations for their dedication to advancing medicine and as a father of a wounded soldier, I know these funds will be put to good use” said Thompson.

This technology is important to our military because injured soldiers are started on feeding tubes to keep nutrients in the body. In field units, tube clogging is a problem, and during air transport, changes in air pressure create additional strains on the injured soldier.

A feeding tube cleaner will decrease medical issues including infection, punctured lungs and possibly death.

Additionally, H.R. 3326 includes $2 million for KCF Technologies of State College to further develop and commercialize self-powered prosthetic limb technology.

The invention of computer controlled knee joints has dramatically improved lower limb prosthetic technology. A major downfall of these prostheses is the limited battery life. This funding will allow KCF to develop an energy harvesting device that will automatically recharge the batteries during normal walking and running activity.

Production will take place at KCF Technologies and will be directed by the Army. Penn State’s Biomechanics Laboratory, along with Otto Bock, a world leader in prosthetic technologies, are also partnering in this effort.

“These are the types of partnerships that can spur great economic development. The fact that the research, development and subsequent production will be done right here at home is frankly what we need a lot more of during these tough economic times”, said Thompson.

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