Comment from Salvatore Rappoccio

[200.202(e), 200.220] To Whom it May Concern: I am a professor of Physics with a research focus on particle physics. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.202(e) and 200.220 that would restrict international scientific collaboration and isolate American scientists. I am a member of a large collaboration at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, performing cutting-edge particle physics research. Our research involves development of high-speed computing, artificial intelligence and hardware acceleration of software, silicon chip development, and other high-priority tasks for the economic and strategic advantage of the US. If the changes to 200.220 are enacted, our research would be drastically impacted. Our group uses resources that the US has historically been a significant contributor to at CERN, and we have collaborators from all over the world. If this is put in jeopardy, our research would not be possible. The overall science mission of the US will suffer, and this will have drastically negative economic impact for decades. The US has invested hundreds of millions of dollars at CERN over the last several decades. Abandoning this investment would not only be a serious waste of taxpayer dollars, it would jeopardize future collaboration with international partners. Our collaboration involves scientists from all over the world, as do many larger scientific enterprises. This classification would completely disable our ability to perform this cutting-edge research. Overall, international scientific collaboration is the lifeblood of the global economy, for which we are the major driving influence. Ceding this influence to other nations would weaken the US as a global leader in science and the economy.