Science Committee Legislation Clears House
(Washington, DC) Committee Democrats marked final passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of three bills considered and approved by the Committee on Science. H.R. 28, H.R. 1158 and H.Con.Res. 96 advance to the U.S. Senate today after passage by voice vote.
H.R. 28, the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005, amends the bipartisan High Performance Computing Act of 1991. The original legislation was instrumental in getting the various Departments of the Executive Branch working together to apply the power of supercomputers to our society’s major challenges. This bill passed the House in the 108th Congress as H.R. 4218.
"This bill aims to restore U.S. world leadership in the area of high performance computing - making sure we retain our technological edge," stated sponsor Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN). "I am proud Oak Ridge National Laboratory, near my district, stands to become the home of the world’s most powerful supercomputer. Scientists from around the world will come to us to make the discoveries that will change how we diagnose and cure disease, heat and cool our homes, travel from place to place, and defend our liberties in wartime."
H.R. 1158 reauthorizes the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988. This legislation - originally passed in the 100th Congress to authorize the federal cost sharing of research - also passed the House in the 108th Congress as H.R. 3890. The program established under the original Act led to a steel industry technology roadmap that permitted the industry to modernize and better meet demand for the new lighter weight products needed by the auto industry and other industry customers.
"This bill is a great example of how public-private partnerships can benefit both taxpayers and shareholders by offering much needed stimulation for growth of the commercial economy," stated bill sponsor Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL). "All Americans benefit from such common sense programs - and in the face of increasing competition from overseas steel manufacturers, we owe it especially to the people who work in these industries."
H.Con.Res. 96, Recognizing the significance of African American women in the United States scientific community, was authored and introduced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). The bill recognizes the significant contributions that African American women have made to science. "Commemorating the achievements of these great minds not only distinguishes a group of role models for today’s youth, it honors these women for being at the very top of the performance curve and demonstrates to the world the importance of diversity in the workplace," stated Rep. Johnson.
Next Article Previous Article