I am writing to ask for your support to ensure that Congress approves the
Senate's FY12 Budget request for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

JWST is recognized as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and is the
number one US astrophysics program in space, as determined by the National
Academy of Sciences Astronomy Decadal Survey. As the premier observatory of the
next decade, JWST will be used by thousands of astronomers to study every
phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the most distant stars and
galaxies, the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets
like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. There is no mission
planned either by NASA or any other space agency that can achieve the science
goals of JWST.

There are 8,000 scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope today who will
depend on the scientific power of JWST to make transformative discoveries and
open a new era of astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope's impact on the public
has been remarkable. JWST is the Hubble for the next generation. As Hubble
reaches its end-of-life in the middle of this decade, we will look to NASA's
next Great Observatory to carry on this legacy. 

JWST's discoveries will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers,
teachers and students around the world. JWST's research accomplishments and
images will be as profound as Hubble's, and the discoveries will be just as
unimaginable. JWST will explore the Universe beyond what Hubble could see.
Without JWST, we will witness the end of NASA's Great Observatory heritage.

NASA has already invested $3.5 B to date on JWST. Three-fourths of the JWST
hardware is either in production, completed, or ready for integration and
testing. JWST international partners (Canada and the European Space Agency)
have invested more than $1B in JWST.

The House of Representatives proposes terminating the program in FY12.
Terminating the program at this point is short sighted, and would have a
devastating impact on our nation's space science enterprise. The scientific
advancement enabled by JWST will support economic growth and technology
innovation, and ensure the United States' global leadership in space science.

The Senate provided $530 million in their bill, adding the $156 million
requested by NASA to support a stable program. The additional funding in FY12
allows work to be done efficiently and ensures a launch in 2018.

I urge your strong support for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program
and support the Senate position of $530 million in conference on the FY12
budget. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,