Congressman Gordon Responds to NSF Appointment
The President announced today that he will nominate Dr. Arden Bement as the new Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Bement, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has also been serving as acting Director of NSF since February of this year. The appointment comes just 3 days before the expiration of the 210-day statutory limitation on an individual serving as acting head of a Federal agency. In reacting to the news of the appointment, Rep. Bart … Continue Reading
July 23, 2004Representative Lampson Asks President Bush to Save Hurricane Tracking Satellite
Washington, DC - Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, sent a letter today asking President Bush to reverse NASA's decision to terminate the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) later this year. In his letter, Rep. Lampson noted that "TRMM has proven to be an invaluable resource to weather forecasting agencies around the world in improving hurricane and typhoon tracking. In the United States, both the National Hurricane Center … Continue Reading
July 22, 2004Politics Should Not Intrude Into Scientific Advisory Panel Appointment Process
Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Ranking Member on the Basic Research Subcommittee, and Brian Baird (D-WA) today released statements endorsing the work of the National Academy of Sciences relating to appointments to Scientific Advisory Panels. Ms. Johnson said, "I am very pleased that the National Academy has decided to take up the question of how to attract the best scientific advisors to government service. Both Mr. Baird and I have been concerned about this very issue … Continue Reading
July 13, 2004Science Committee Democrats React to National Academies' Report on Hubble
The National Academies this afternoon released an interim letter report from the committee that is undertaking an assessment of options for extending the life of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The committee was established by the NASA Administrator in response to Congressional concerns over his January 2004 announcement that NASA would undertake no further servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. It was asked to assess the viability of a Shuttle-based servicing mission to Hubble, survey … Continue Reading
July 09, 2004Slim Manufacturing Bill Slips Through House
Today, the House passed by voice vote H.R. 3598, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act. Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Member of the Science Committee, commented upon final passage that, "This modest bill comes at a time when we need a much bolder initiative. Since January 2001, 2.7 million manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Those workers deserve more than the half-loaf that this bill provides. We have missed a great opportunity to provide for a wide range of … Continue Reading
June 16, 2004Small Manufacturing Bill Moved by Committee Not Up to Big Problems in Manufacturing Sector
Today, the Science Committee passed H.R. 3598, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004, on a largely party-line vote. All Republicans supported the bill, while all Democrats save one voted against the bill. Said Mr. Mark Udall (D-CO), the prime sponsor of a broader manufacturing bill (H.R. 2908) that was introduced in the House nearly a year ago: "The bill before the Committee today was really misnamed, for it did almost nothing more than reauthorize the Manufacturing … Continue Reading
May 20, 2004Science Democrats Press for Scientific Integrity
Yesterday, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) released a General Accounting Office report on ways to improve the integrity of the Scientific Advisory Panel appointment process. Representatives Johnson and Baird also released a letter to the President asking him to instruct executive offices and agencies to carry out all the recommendations included in the GAO report. GAO has very specific steps that should be embraced by the Office of Government … Continue Reading
April 21, 2004Democrats Look to Strengthen Green Chemistry R&D
Today, Congress passed H.R. 3970, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2004. Ranking Democratic Member Bart Gordon (D-TN) commented, "The bill is a good, but small, first step, to encourage research into chemical products and processes that are less toxic to our environment and less dangerous to public health." The bill adopted today had originally included language that seemed to actually cut the funding of the programs already underway at the National Science … Continue Reading
April 01, 2004Democrats: Green Chemistry Bill a "Missed Opportunity"
Today, the Science Committee passed H.R. 3970, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2004, after rejecting Democratic amendments dealing with education and training, government purchase incentives, barriers to commercialization, environmental concerns, homeland security, and adequate levels of funding. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Member of the Committee, noted: "Passage of this bill is a missed opportunity. The Committee should have taken the time to increase and … Continue Reading
April 01, 2004GAO Questions Nuclear Safety Management at DOE Labs
In December 2002, the Science Committee leadership asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to review management challenges at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Labs. That request came on the heels of press reports regarding nuclear safety and security lapses and property and financial improprieties. Today, the first of two reports to come from that request was released by GAO. GAO's report (Department of Energy: Mission Support Challenges Remain at Los … Continue Reading
March 25, 2004Democratic, Republican Budget Resolutions Treat R&D Very Differently
Today, the House of Representatives passed a blueprint for the Federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2005) and beyond. The Republican budget (H. Con. Res. 393, introduced by Rep. Jim Nussle) passed the House by a vote of 215-212, while the Democratic budget, offered by Rep. John Spratt, was defeated 194-232. The Nussle and Spratt plans have very different allocations for all domestic discretionary programs, including research and development (R&D) programs. Function 250 … Continue Reading
March 11, 2004NASA Reviewer Calls for Further Study of Decision to Abandon Hubble Telescope
According to a letter to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Admiral Harold W. Gehman, former Chairman of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), has endorsed a "deep and rich" study on whether to extend the life of the Hubble Telescope. Colorado Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO), who is sponsoring House Resolution 550, which calls for the formation of an independent panel to conduct such a study, welcomed Gehman's remarks. "I am pleased that Admiral Gehman agrees … Continue Reading
March 09, 2004Science 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