Chairwoman Johnson Applauds Inclusion of Artificial Intelligence Initiative in NDAA
(Dallas, TX) - Included in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the House floor yesterday was an amendment to create a National Artificial Intelligence Initiative to accelerate and coordinate Federal investments and facilitate new public-private partnerships in research, standards, and education in artificial intelligence in order to ensure the United States leads the world in the development and use of trustworthy artificial intelligence systems. This amendment, … Continue Reading
July 20, 2020Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Sherrill Holds Teleconference on NOAA’s Wildfire Preparedness and COVID-19 Impacts
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Environment held a teleconference with Mr. John Murphy, Chief Operating Officer of the National Weather Service (NWS); Dr. Mitch Goldberg, Chief Scientist of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) at the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), and Dr. Jennifer Mahoney, Director of the Global Systems Laboratory at the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research … Continue Reading
July 17, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Comments on Weakening of National Environmental Policy Act
(Dallas, TX) - On July 15, the Trump Administration finalized the rollback of the landmark environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). For 50 years, NEPA has required that the Federal government assess the long-term environmental impacts of new infrastructure projects, communicate that with the public, and consider community input on how those projects can impact their health and safety. Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement. "For the … Continue Reading
July 03, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Demands Cooperation from Department of Commerce on Hurricane Dorian OIG Report
(Dallas, TX) - Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross regarding the July 1 memorandum sent to Secretary Ross by the Department of Commerce's Inspector General, Peggy Gustafson. The memo expressed concerns over the Department's efforts to obstruct the publication of a completed Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, which was provided to the Department on June 26 and due to be published on June 29. The report examines an … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Raises Concern Over Halted Hurricane Dorian IG Report
(Dallas, TX) - Today, the Department of Commerce's Inspector General Peggy Gustafson sent a memo to Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross expressing concerns over the Department's obstruction of a completed Office of Inspector General (OIG) report. The OIG report examines a statement issued on September 6, 2019, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regarding a tweet sent by the Birmingham National Weather Service forecast office. The memorandum asserts that the … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Applauds Climate Crisis Committee Action Plan
(Dallas, TX) - Earlier this morning, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released a comprehensive framework of climate policy recommendations called, "Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America." Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement. "I would like to congratulate the Members and staff of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis on creating a strong, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020Committee Leaders Raise Questions After Abrupt Termination of Federal Coronavirus Research Grant
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, leaders of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar expressing concerns about the Trump Administration's termination of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awarded to EcoHealth Alliance that supported research on bats and coronaviruses. The Committee leaders requested a briefing on the details surrounding the termination of the award. … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020Committee Leaders Submit Comment on EPA’s Proposed Rule on the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality for Particulate Matter
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, leaders of the Science, Space, and Technology and Energy and Commerce Committees submitted a comment to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler for the proposed rule on the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM), which was released on April 14, 2020. The Chairs urged EPA to delay the finalization of the PM NAAQS until the Agency can ensure the appropriate independent scientific advice … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Applauds Renaming NASA Headquarters after First African American Female Engineer Mary W. Jackson
(Dallas, TX) - Yesterday, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that the NASA headquarters building in Washington, DC, would be renamed after Mary W. Jackson, the Agency's first African American female engineer. In 2019, Ms. Jackson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal along with Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Christine Darden, and all of the women computers, mathematicians, and engineers at NASA and NACA from the … Continue Reading
June 19, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Congratulates Incoming National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan after Senate Confirmation
(Dallas, TX) - Yesterday, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan was confirmed by the Senate to serve as the 15th Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Panchanathan was nominated by the Trump Administration in late 2019 to succeed Dr. France Córdova, whose six-year term ended in March. "I want to congratulate Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan for his confirmation as the next Director of the National Science Foundation," said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). "At this important … Continue Reading
June 18, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Introduces the Promoting Fair and Effective Policing Through Research Act
(Dallas, TX) - Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced the Promoting Fair and Effective Policing Through Research Act. This legislation directs the National Science Foundation to fund social and behavioral research on policing policies, including the causes, consequences, and mitigation of police violence, supports collaborative partnerships between social science researchers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations; and provides for a National Academies … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020Chairwoman Johnson Expresses Concern Over Assessment into Alleged Violation of Scientific Integrity Policy
(Dallas, TX) - On Monday afternoon, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) released An Independent Assessment of Allegations of Scientific Misconduct that examined four complaints received by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Scientific Integrity Officer of alleged violations of the Agency's scientific integrity policy in September 2019. The complaints were in relation to communication and messaging by NOAA officials regarding Hurricane Dorian. NAPA … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas Introduce Surface Transportation Research & Development Act
(Washington, DC) - Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) introduced the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2020. This legislation would authorize the Department of Transportation's (DOT) surface transportation research, development and demonstration programs from fiscal years 2021-2025. Furthermore, it would support long-term, high-risk research across all modes of surface transportation; research to ensure roads remain safe … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020Energy Subcommittee Chairwoman Fletcher Holds Bipartisan Teleconference on DOE Support of Manufacturing During the COVID-19 Crisis
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy held a bipartisan teleconference with Dr. Lonnie Love, Corporate Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Dr. Christopher Spadaccini, Director of the Additive Manufacturing Initiative at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); and Dr. Robert O'Brien, Director of Advanced Manufacturing at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to discuss how the Department of Energy (DOE) is … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Foster Holds Teleconference on COVID-19 Modeling
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a teleconference with Dr. Noelle Samia, Associate Professor of Statistics at Northwestern University; Dr. Lauren Meyers, Executive Director at UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium and Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin; and Dr. Tim Persons, Chief Scientist and Managing Director of Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics at the … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Horn Holds Bipartisan Teleconference on NASA’s Status of Returning to On-Site Work and Operations Under the COVID-19 Crisis
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday afternoon, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a bipartisan teleconference with Mr. James (Jim) Morhard, Deputy Administrator at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Mr. Steve Jurczyk, Associate Administrator at NASA; and Dr. J.D. Polk, Chief Health and Medical Officer at NASA to discuss NASA's current operating status and the management of the agency's facilities and workforce amidst … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Stevens Holds Bipartisan Teleconference on Biological Science Research and COVID-19 Response
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Research & Technology held a bipartisan teleconference with Dr. Fleming Crim, Chief Operating Officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Dr. Joanne Tornow, Assistant Director of the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF to explore recent advances in fundamental biological science and how such research has contributed to advances in public health and biotechnology. "The … Continue Reading
May 31, 2020Chairwomen Johnson and Horn Celebrate Successful SpaceX Demo-2 Arrival at Space Station
(Washington, DC) - On Saturday afternoon, NASA Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on the first crewed demonstration flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. This is the final flight test for SpaceX's crew transportation system and the first time it carried a crew. Earlier this morning, the spacecraft successfully docked to the ISS. "After nearly ten years of investment and development efforts, NASA astronauts launched from … Continue Reading
May 26, 2020Chairwoman Johnson and Chairman Foster Seek Further Information on Clearview AI Data Breach and Operations
(Washington, DC) - Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Chairman Bill Foster (D-IL) sent a follow up letter to the CEO of Clearview AI, Mr. Hoan Ton-That, pursuing further information on Clearview's approach to data privacy and cybersecurity matters. Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas sent an initial letter to Clearview AI in early March expressing their concern regarding the February 2020 hack of Clearview AI's systems. … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Sherrill Holds Teleconference on Air Pollution Exposure and COVID-19 Impacts
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Environment held a teleconference with Mr. Dan Greenbaum, President of the Health Effects Institute; Dr. Rashid Shaikh, Director of Science Emeritus at the Health Effects Institute, and Dr. Francesca Dominici, Professor of Biostatistics, Population and Data Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Co-Director of the Data Science Initiative at Harvard University to explore … Continue Reading