Broad Coalition Calls for Urgent Approval of Legislation to Safeguard Domestic Helium Supply

Washington, D.C. – The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today led a broad coalition of technology, medical, business and education leaders – including the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) – in delivering a letter to Congress calling for urgent approval of legislation that will secure the nation’s helium supply.

“There’s no more time to spare -- Congress must take immediate action to prevent the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve for the sake of patients, research, jobs and the economy,” said Gail Rodriguez, executive director of MITA. “Without access to helium, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manufacturing facilities will have no choice but to slow or shut down production and existing MRI machines will not be able to be refilled, forcing hospitals and physicians to turn away patients in need of life-saving imaging services and jeopardizing critical medical research at academic institutions around the country.”

Under existing law, the Federal Helium Reserve will no longer be authorized to sell to private entities after October 7. The House has overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill (H.R. 527) to prevent closure of the Reserve, and the Senate is also considering bipartisan legislation (S. 783). 

“With prompt action to avert the Oct. 7 helium cliff, Congress can strengthen advanced manufacturing of semiconductors and other products, enable continued scientific research, and provide hundreds of millions of dollars in sales revenue to the federal government,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of SIA. “Legislation to secure the supply of helium is an all-too-rare slam dunk for Congress, and policymakers should act swiftly to approve it.”  

A significant number of jobs, economic output and exports from the United States depend on a continuous supply of helium. Liquid helium is needed to cool MRI magnets to temperatures suitable for imaging, so that physicians can use the technology to diagnose stroke, aneurysms, cancers, multiple sclerosis and other deadly and debilitating diseases. Helium is also required for a range of advanced manufacturing sectors, including semiconductors, fiber optics, chemicals and aerospace. Additionally, it has applications related to scientific research, national security and space exploration, among many others.

The letter to House and Senate leadership had more than 120 signatories from a broad range of U.S. industry and research, including MITA, SIA, NEMA, and numerous universities, both private and public.

###

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA, is the collective voice of medical imaging equipment, radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, innovators and product developers. It represents companies whose sales comprise more than 90 percent of the global market for medical imaging technology. For more information, visit www.medicalimaging.org. Follow MITA on Twitter @MITAToday.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, one of America's top export industries and a key driver of America’s economic strength, national security and global competitiveness. Semiconductors – microchips that control all modern electronics – enable the systems and products that we use to work, communicate, travel, entertain, harness energy, treat illness, and make new scientific discoveries. The semiconductor industry directly employs nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. In 2012, U.S. semiconductor sales totaled more than $146 billion, and semiconductors make the global trillion dollar electronics industry possible. Founded in 1977 by five microelectronics pioneers, SIA unites companies that account for 80 percent of America’s semiconductor production. Through this coalition, SIA seeks to strengthen U.S. leadership of semiconductor design and manufacturing by working with Congress, the Administration and other key industry stakeholders to encourage policies and regulations that fuel innovation, propel business and drive international competition. Learn more at www.semiconductors.org.