Science Committee Democrats Release Their Views And Estimates Report
Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, today released Democratic Views and Estimates (V&E) on the President's FY 2005 budget request for R&D. The Budget Act requires House Committees to submit these reports to the House Budget Committee prior to adoption of the annual budget resolution. Last week, Science Committee Chairman Boehlert released a set of V&E that were signed by 18 of the Committee's 24 Republicans and by 7 of the … Continue Reading
March 03, 2004Udall Introduces Resolution to Save Hubble Space Telescope
Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) today introduced a House resolution urging that an independent panel review NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe's decision not to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, thus condemning the Hubble to a premature death. The resolution also urges NASA to continue planning for Hubble's next servicing mission as NASA develops its inspection and repair capability, which will enable shuttles to fly both to the International Space Station and to the Hubble Space … Continue Reading
February 24, 2004Remarks by the Hon. Bart Gordon before the American Society For Engineering Education
I want to thank Dean Glenn Johnson of Tennessee Tech for his gracious introduction. I am proud to represent the Congressional District that includes his distinguished institution. I also thank the other Tennessee engineering school officials in attendance today: Way Kuo and Lillian Mashburn of UT-Knoxville, Ken Galloway of Vanderbilt, Decatur Rogers of Tennessee State, Philip Kazemersky of UT-Chattanooga, Douglas Sterrett of UT-Martin, and Rick Warder of the University of Memphis for … Continue Reading
February 02, 2004Science Committee Democrats Question Administration's R&D Budget Priorities
Today, President Bush released his Administration's FY2005 budget request. Senior Democratic Members of the Committee reacted with the following comments. Ranking Member Bart Gordon (TN): "Just as every family knows you have to put something away as an investment for tomorrow, so it is with the nation. The Administration's budget fails to make the responsible investments in our future that our children expect of us. If we hope to grow new industries, provide new skills to unemployed … Continue Reading
January 21, 2004Rep. Gordon Chosen by Democratic Caucus to Lead Science Committee
Yesterday, Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN) was selected by the House Democratic Caucus to become the Ranking Member on the Science Committee. Rep. Gordon, who first served on the Science Committee in 1985, is the senior Democrat on the panel and has previously served as the Ranking Member on two subcommittees - the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards and the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. Rep. Gordon commented that, "I believe the Committee should be working to … Continue Reading
January 14, 2004Gordon Reacts to President’s Vision for Human Space Flight
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN) said he was pleased the President laid out a more specific plan for the nation's human space-flight program. Gordon joined President Bush at NASA headquarters today to watch the President lay out his plan. Gordon made the following comments about the speech: "First, I am pleased that the President has proposed some long-term goals for the nation's human space flight program. The lack of clear marching orders has hampered NASA's … Continue Reading
December 08, 2003Republican Congress Kisses Small and Medium Manufacturers Good-Bye
Today, the Republican-controlled Congress approved a two-thirds cut to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which will accelerate the loss of American manufacturing jobs while the Administration continues to delay the release of its manufacturing initiative. According to Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), "When the time came for action, instead of just talk, a Republican Congress and Administration killed the very program designed to support small and medium-sized manufacturers … Continue Reading
November 18, 2003Hall's Deepwater Drilling Research Program Approved
One of the major provisions contained in H.R. 6, "The Energy Policy Act of 2003" adopted by the House today, is the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Onshore Natural Gas Research and Development Program authored by House Science Committee Ranking Democratic Member Ralph Hall (D-Texas). This provision establishes a new 10-year, $2 billion program that is characterized by a unique partnership between government and industry to develop the technologies to meet the nation's mid-term … Continue Reading
October 30, 2003Udall: "The Space Environment Center's Work is Vital"
As the Sun bombarded Earth the last several days with high-energy particles released from gigantic solar flares, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center (SEC) kept a "weather eye" on the solar fireworks. Alerts issued by the Boulder, Colorado, forecasters were the prime source of information for communications and power companies working to avoid service disruptions. Firefighters in California were warned that radio communications might be … Continue Reading
October 15, 2003Statement by Hon. Ralph M. Hall on the Successful Launch of a Chinese Astronaut
"I want to congratulate the Chinese people on the successful launch of China's first astronaut. It is a significant technical achievement. I hope that America and China can look forward to a future of friendly competition and cooperation in the peaceful exploration and utilization of … Continue Reading
October 02, 2003Udall Calls for Reform of H-1B Worker Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Mark Udall (D-CO), ranking Member on the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee, called for reform of the H-1B foreign worker program after a government report he received revealed weaknesses in the government's ability to track H-1B workers or to verify their work conditions. Udall released a General Accounting Office report entitled H-1B Foreign Workers: Better Tracking Needed to Help Determine H-1B Program's Effects on U.S. Workforce. … Continue Reading
October 01, 2003Rep. Hall Introduces Legislation on Oversight of Shuttle Safety
Congressman Ralph M. Hall (D-TX) today introduced the "Space Shuttle Independent Oversight Act of 2003", legislation that authorizes the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering to establish an independent committee to oversee NASA's implementation of the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, and Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, … Continue Reading
September 23, 2003Hall Statement on ASAP Resignations
Congressman Ralph Hall (D-TX), Ranking Democratic Member of the House Science Committee, today released the following statement: "The mass resignation of the members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) sends a strong signal that, despite the useful and important service that they have provided over the years, their advice has rarely been heeded. Simply changing its membership will not improve ASAP unless NASA and the Congress are willing to dedicate the resources and effort … Continue Reading
September 09, 2003Remarks by the Hon. Mike Honda on the Role the Federal Government Can Play in Furthering the Commercialization of Nanotechnology
Thanks for that kind introduction and for inviting me here to speak today. I know I'm preaching to the choir here today, and that we all believe nanotechnology will be the "next big thing" to follow the high tech boom of the 1990s. And you don't need me to tell you that the worldwide nanotechnology market could reach one trillion dollars by 2015. To reach that point is going to take hard work all around the world, but I think it is essential that America, with its spirit of … Continue Reading
August 26, 2003Reps. Hall and Gordon Comment on Release of the Gehman Report
With the release today of the report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, the focus for setting future policy for the Nation's civilian space program will shift to the Congress and the Administration. A series of hearings in the House Science Committee will begin on September 4 and will extend through the remainder of the First Session of this Congress. Cong. Ralph M. Hall (D-TX), Ranking Democrat on the Committee, stated, "I want to thank the Board members for their dedicated … Continue Reading
July 28, 2003Johnson and Jackson Lee Release Letter to EPA on EEO Processes
Today, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), ranking Member on the Research Subcommittee, and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), a senior Member of the Committee, sent a letter to Acting Administrator Horinko encouraging the agency to redouble its efforts in the fair and timely disposition of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) cases. Specifically, they direct EPA to: undertake testing of the reliability of a new data tracking system deployed by EPA for EEO cases; finalize procedures for EEO … Continue Reading
July 25, 2003Congressman Hall Moves to Address Astronaut Safety
Today, Congressman Ralph Hall (D-TX), Ranking Member on the Committee, offered an amendment to the NASA funding bill (H.R. 2861, the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for 2004) that will force NASA to conduct studies of how to improve crew survivability for Space Shuttle astronauts. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. Hall noted that, "The sad reality is that seventeen years after the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, the loss of a Space Shuttle still means that … Continue Reading
July 24, 2003Mark Udall: Administration's Climate Research Plan Inadequate
(Washington DC) - Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) said that the Climate Change Strategic Plan (CCSP) released today is an indication of the Bush Administration's avoidance of the real problems presented by global change. "The research proposed by the Strategic Plan is fine as far as it goes. But the Plan doesn't reflect a broad consultative process among non-scientists and it doesn't help us to reduce our vulnerability to present and future global changes," said Udall. The CCSP aims … Continue Reading
July 22, 2003Committee Bill Fails to Deal with Safety and Vision at NASA
Science Committee Democrats today opposed passage of H.R. 1085, the NASA Workforce bill, in the Committee's markup of the legislation. Led by Ranking Democrat Ralph Hall (D-TX) and Ranking Space Subcommittee Member Bart Gordon (D-TN), Democrats argued that moving a workforce bill prior to receipt of the Gehman Board report was premature and unnecessary. Gehman's report is due in August and the full House cannot take up a NASA workforce bill until sometime in September. More importantly, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2003Ranking Democrat Gordon Opposes Passage of NASA Workforce Bill
Earlier today, the Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics passed by voice vote H.R. 1085, a bill designed to provide NASA with management flexibility over its work force. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee, opposed the bill: "I'm disappointed that we didn't wait for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to report before marking up NASA workforce legislation," Gordon said. "Admiral Gehman has made it clear that workforce and management issues … Continue Reading