The Gathering Storm report by the NAS is largely a scientist and engineer (S&E) "shortage" report, though they are careful to never use such words. Over the last five years, there have been several such shortage reports, in particular one by the NSF's National Science Board (NSB) 4 years ago. I wrote about such shortage reports over 3 years ago, and maintained them on this website:

Debunking workforce shortage predictions: A promising new "alternative career" 09/01/03 http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2sk2i/spn/spn1to12/spn12debunknsbreport.html

High-tech Layoffs: The Other Quiet Crisis http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2sk2i/spn/spn1to12/spn11quietcrisis.html

Here are some of the other notes I put together, though for logistical reasons I did not continue to write such newsletters: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2sk2i/spn/index.htm

I am coming out of retirement though and could fire up the email distribution list again, though I know I will get many email returns as people have moved on and changed email addresses.

Some of the above newsletters have some of the background information that Congress needs to hear more about. I will try and draft a letter in the next couple of days.

I think we will need to involve more people, seems as though there is really only a handful of active participants on this website.

Concerning the question of lobbying Congress:

For excellent coverage of what a few people can do, please see Chapters 8 and 9 of this book:

Science, Money, and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion

Daniel S. Greenberg

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226306348/ref%3Dase%5Fphdsorgsciencm

There is a paperback version for $15 that is well worth the cost.

There is this event coming up:

Twelfth Annual Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits Day

May 1 & 2, 2007

http://www.agiweb.org/gap/cvd/cvd2007/index.html

Please study this set of links to find out how the professional science societies organize their membership to write letters for more science funding:

http://www.aip.org/gov/

Write Congress http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=APSPA

Communicating with Congress http://www.aip.org/gov/commcong.html

Check out this link, for what the professional societies are telling Congress:

http://www.aps.org/policy/tools/grassroots/upload/GrassrootsResources2006_AdvocacyLeaveBehind.pdf

That should get some things started.

Bob