American economic strength and national security depend on our tradition of innovation. To ensure continued technological leadership in the world, President Bush announced the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) in his State of the Union address. The ACI commits $5.9 billion in FY 2007, and more than $136 billion over 10 years, to increase investments in Research and Development, strengthen education, and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. The centerpiece of the American Competitiveness Initiative is the President's proposal to double, over ten years, priority basic research in the physical sciences and engineering. The Administration strongly supports awarding research funds based on merit review through a competitive process. Research earmarks, the assignment of money during the legislative process for use only by a specific organization or project, are counter to a merit-based competitive selection process. To maximize the effectiveness of federally-funded research, the President calls upon Congress and the academic community to withhold securing research and facilities funding through earmarks, particularly in the American Competitiveness Initiative agencies.