Science Committee Ranking Members Request GAO Investigation of Cybersecurity Threats to the U.S. Electric Grid
(Washington, DC) - Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space & Technology, Congressman Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight, Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX), Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy, and Congressman Dan Lipinski, Ranking Member (D-IL), Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Research & Technology, wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting they investigate cybersecurity … Continue Reading
July 05, 2018Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
(Dallas, TX) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement after President Trump announced that he had accepted the resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “As I said when he was appointed, Mr. Pruitt, a man who spent his career opposing EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment, was unfit to be the Administrator of the EPA. Given the countless ethics issues he generated by his behavior while at EPA, I honestly cannot believe it … Continue Reading
June 28, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on the Assessment of the James Webb Space Telescope
(Washington, DC) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement on the report by the Independent Review Board established by NASA to assess the progress of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): “Mr. Young and the other members of the Independent Review Board have performed a great service for the nation, and I thank them for their efforts. As they noted, the James Webb Space Telescope will be an in-space observatory with ‘incredible capability and awesome … Continue Reading
June 23, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on the 30th Anniversary of Dr. James Hansen’s Testimony before Congress
(Washington, DC) - Today marks the 30th anniversary of former NASA climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen’s, testimony to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. In his testimony, Dr. Hansen indicated that the effects of greenhouse gases are significant enough to increase the probability of future extreme weather events, as well as an increase in average warming. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement. “It is fitting that on this first … Continue Reading
June 20, 2018Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on President Trump’s Ocean Policy Executive Order
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order revising the U.S. ocean policy. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement. “I’m not surprised that once again the Trump Administration is doing its best to undermine climate science, data collection initiatives, and existing protections for our environment. President Trump’s latest executive order wholly revising U.S. ocean policy is simply his latest effort to support industry, … Continue Reading
June 11, 2018Science Committee Oversight Democrats Request Hearing on White House’s “Ignore” Science Memorandum
(Washington, DC) - Democratic Members of the Subcommittee on Oversight sent a letter last week to Oversight Chairman Ralph Abraham requesting that he hold a hearing on a White House memo that suggested ignoring climate science was one option the Trump Administration should consider. “Ignoring science and pushing political agendas that may be welcomed by industry, but harmful to the health, safety and security of all Americans should never be acceptable to the Science Committee or its … Continue Reading
May 27, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on the Passing of Astronaut Alan Bean
(Dallas, TX) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement upon learning of Alan Bean’s passing: “Today we lost a true American hero, Navy test pilot, astronaut, and artist Alan Bean. Mr. Bean is one of only twelve men who have walked on the moon and the only artist to have done so. He was a native son of Texas, born in the Panhandle, graduated from high school in Fort Worth, attended the University of Texas, and served his NASA career in Houston. His … Continue Reading
May 24, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Submits Comment on EPA’s Proposed “Secret Science” Rule
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) submitted a comment on the proposed rulemaking entitled, "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science." This proposed rule would allow EPA in its rulemaking to only consider studies for which the underlying data are made available publicly. This rule is based on legislation introduced by Chairman Lamar Smith, but never adopted by Congress. Ranking Member Johnson said in the comment, "For the past five years, I have … Continue Reading
May 04, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on Racist, Sexist Interference in NASA Contest
(Washington, DC) - Last month, NASA announced the finalists for its national research challenge, OPSPARC, and opened the competition to its public voting stage. Included among the high school finalists was an all-black, all-female team made up of 17 year olds, Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner, and Bria Snell. Earlier this week, it was reported that hackers associated with the online community 4chan, a forum known for its racist and homophobic views, attempted to influence the outcome of the … Continue Reading
May 04, 2018Top Democrats Push Pruitt for 90-day Comment Period on New EPA “Selective Science” Policy
(Washington, DC) - The top Democrat on the House Science, Space & Technology Committee, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and on the Energy & Commerce Environment Subcommittee, Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) were joined by 63 Democratic colleagues on a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt calling for a 90-day comment period on a recently proposed rule on the treatment of data in science-based policymaking. “Given the large response from scientists and … Continue Reading
May 01, 2018EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Has Sought New EPA Office Complete with Secure Facility in Hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Congressman Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) sent two records request letters to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the General Services Administration (GSA). The letters request documents and communications regarding EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s efforts to establish a new … Continue Reading
April 27, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on “A Better Deal: Tools to Succeed in the 21st Century”
(Alexandria, VA) - Today, the House Democrats unveiled a new plank of their economic agenda, A Better Deal: Tools to Succeed in the 21st Century. This plank focuses on Democrats’ commitment to investing in America’s workers, pioneering future frontiers and modernizing government. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement: “The ‘Tools to Succeed in the 21st Century’ plank of the Better Deal agenda properly stresses the role that science, technology, … Continue Reading
April 24, 2018Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on Administrator Pruitt’s “Secret Science” Order
(Washington, DC) - Today, Administrator Scott Pruitt held a “special event” to announce a proposed rule that would allow EPA in its rulemaking to only consider studies for which the underlying data are made available publicly. This rule is based on legislation introduced by Chairman Lamar Smith, but never adopted by Congress. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) statement on the proposed rule is below. “We on the Science Committee Minority have been fighting against the … Continue Reading
April 14, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on March for Science
(Washington, DC) - Today is the second annual March for Science taking place in over 200 cities across around the world. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) issued the following statement: While it is somewhat disheartening that there is a need for this march, I am proud to see the public celebrating the role science plays in our daily lives, supporting the future of evidence-based science, and promoting it as the foundation of our policies. Over the past year, we have … Continue Reading
April 04, 2018Ranking Members Johnson and Beyer Send Third Request to Chairman to Address Election Cybersecurity Concerns and Foreign Influence Operations After Cambridge Analytica Scandal
(Washington, DC) - Last night, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Congressman Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA) sent a third formal request letter to Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) asking that he hold a hearing on election security issues. This third letter follows the recent news that British-based Cambridge Analytica acquired the private data of 50 million Facebook users for political purposes. Cambridge Analytica is a commercial consulting … Continue Reading
March 23, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on the Omnibus Appropriations Bill
(Washington, DC) - Today, the President signed into law an Omnibus Appropriations package that contains new funding for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement regarding the funding included for science agencies. “I am pleased that we were able to come to agreement on a bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations bill. I am thrilled with the spending boosts for many of our federal R&D agencies, even though I would still … Continue Reading
March 14, 2018Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Loss of Dr. Stephen Hawking
(Washington, DC) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement upon learning of Dr. Stephen Hawking’s passing. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) issued the following statement: “The passing of Dr. Hawking is truly the loss of a visionary scientist. His life was a shining example of the power of the human mind, and he was an inspiration to all for his genius, thoughtfulness, and perseverance. We on the Science Committee were lucky to have … Continue Reading
March 06, 2018Democratic Leaders of Science Committee (Again) Call on Chairman to Address Election Cybersecurity Concerns and Foreign Influence Operations
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Congressman Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA) sent a second formal request to Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) to hold a hearing on election security issues. This is the fourth time in five months that Ms. Johnson and Mr. Beyer have requested that the Chairman fulfill his oversight obligation to review the security of the U.S. election infrastructure. A similar formal written request … Continue Reading
March 01, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Response to Majority Staff Report on “Russia’s Social Media Meddling in U.S. Energy Markets”
(Dallas, TX) - Earlier today, the Majority released a staff report titled, “Russian Attempts to Influence U.S. Domestic Energy Markets by Exploiting Social Media.” Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) response is below. “The Majority’s staff report on alleged Russian interference in U.S. energy markets was presented to me this morning and I will thoroughly review it. Regardless, it has become apparent that the Russians have been attempting to interfere across our society. … Continue Reading
February 12, 2018Ranking Member Johnson Statement on President’s FY2019 Budget Request
(Dallas, TX) - Earlier today, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget was released. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) response is below. “When I was first briefed on ‘highlights’ of President Trump’s budget request, I was incredulous at its treatment of our federal science agencies. To propose slashing EPA’s budget and DOE’s EERE, eliminating NASA’s education programs and several Earth science instruments and missions, and cutting NOAA’s oceans and atmospheric programs, … Continue Reading