Subcommittee Discusses NOAA FY 2017 Budget
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing to review the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Testifying before the Committee was the Administrator of NOAA, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan. Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee, Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), said in her opening statement, “NOAA is a critically important agency tasked with helping … Continue Reading
March 16, 2016Subcommittee Examines FY 2017 Budget for NIST
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research & Technology held a hearing to examine the FY 2017 budget request for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Testifying before the Subcommittee was Dr. Willie E. May, the Director of NIST and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) said in her opening statement, “For more than 100 years, NIST has supported the … Continue Reading
March 14, 2016Republicans Demonize EPA Over Longstanding Interpretation of the Clean Air Act
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Oversight, held a hearing to attack a clarifying provision in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium-and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles proposed rule initially released in July 2015. The provision at the heart of the hearing clarifies EPA’s longstanding (over four decades) held interpretation of the Clean Air Act provisions … Continue Reading
March 03, 2016Subcommittees Examine the DOE Loan Programs’ Record of Success
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Energy and Oversight held a hearing to review the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) and in particular the loan guarantee program. The mission of LPO is to “accelerate the domestic commercial deployment of innovative and advanced clean energy technologies at a scale sufficient to contribute meaningfully to the achievement of our national clean energy objectives.” The program was … Continue Reading
March 03, 2016Subcommittee Discusses Mobile Health Apps
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing to examine the development of mobile applications and wearable technologies for monitoring, diagnosing, and tracking disease and medical conditions. Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said in his opening statement, “With well over 100,000 health-related apps available through the Google and Apple app stores, and hundreds of millions of downloads, mobile … Continue Reading
March 02, 2016Ranking Members Johnson and Edwards Congratulate NASA Astronaut after Successful Year in Space
(Washington, DC) – Yesterday at 11:26pm EST, NASA Astronaut, Commander Scott Kelly successfully returned to Earth from his 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). He completed the journey with crewmates Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. Kelly now holds the U.S. record from cumulative time spent in space at 520 days over six space flights. He is scheduled to travel to Houston’s Ellington Field on March 2nd to reunite … Continue Reading
March 01, 2016House Passes Nuclear Energy Innovation Bill
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4084, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act with Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) as the lead Democratic sponsor. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber (R-TX) and also cosponsored by Full Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX). The legislation would support federal research and development in nuclear energy and stimulate private investment in advanced nuclear … Continue Reading
February 25, 2016Committee Holds Hearing on Space Leadership Act
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to receive testimony on H.R. 2093, the Space Leadership Preservation Act, and to consider the issue of maintaining a “constancy of purpose” for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Committee also held a hearing on the Space Leadership Preservation Act last Congress. H.R. 2093 would amend existing statutes on NASA by providing specific direction to the President with regards to how … Continue Reading
February 24, 2016Committee Celebrates Detection of Gravitational Waves
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing titled Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe: Gravitational Waves. This hearing was held to celebrate the successful detection of gravitational waves at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories (LIGO). This discovery was a century in the making, helping to confirm Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity and opening a new window to the universe. Testifying before the Committee, today, … Continue Reading
February 12, 2016Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Detection of Gravitational Waves
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, David Reitze, executive director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), publicly announced that gravitational waves have successfully been detected. Scientists, up until this point, could only use electromagnetic waves, including visible light, to probe the wonders of the universe. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered the following statement on the announcement: “I am delighted to congratulate all of the scientists, … Continue Reading
February 12, 2016Democratic Members of the Science Committee Call on GAO to Investigate California Methane Gas Leak and Pipeline Infrastructure Issues
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, Democratic Members of the Committee on Science, Space & Technology sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that they examine safety, oversight, and public health issues related to the massive methane gas leak at the Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCalGas) underground natural gas storage facility in Los Angeles, California. The letter also asks GAO to review issues related to pipeline leak detection capabilities, technical … Continue Reading
February 11, 2016Republicans Sabotage Bipartisan FAA R&D Bill
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a markup of H.R 4489, the “FAA Leadership in Groundbreaking High-Tech Research and Development Act.” Prior to the markup, a bipartisan agreement had been reached on the bill. However, the Majority dumped a number of amendments, which the Chairman supported, on the Minority the night before, after close of business, that sabotaged his own bipartisan agreement. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) then … Continue Reading
February 10, 2016House Passes Bill to Politicize Grant Making at the National Science Foundation
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House passed H.R. 3293, the Republicans’ “Scientific Research in the National Interest Act,” requiring the National Science Foundation to publicly justify every research award according to how it meets specific, Republican-proposed criteria for benefiting the national interest. The bill passed by a vote of 236 – 178. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said of H.R. 3293 in her floor statement, “At its core, this bill is … Continue Reading
February 10, 2016Committee Democrats Examine Public Health and Economic Benefits of Federal Regulations
(Washington, DC) - Today the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing titled, “Midnight Regulations: Examining Executive Branch Overreach.” This hearing was another attempt by the Majority to criticize President Obama, and suggest that his Administration is heavy handed; careless; and is in a rush to implement politically motivated regulations. Democrats took this opportunity to explore the environmental and public health benefits that have resulted from the President’s … Continue Reading
February 09, 2016Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the President’s FY2017 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered the following statement after the release of the President’s FY2017 Budget. “As in past years, the President’s Budget will help ensure that the U.S. can compete in a 21st Century global economy and solidify America’s place as a scientific and technological leader. The investments in the full range R&D and STEM including advanced manufacturing research, prioritizing basic research, investing in clean transportation and civil … Continue Reading
February 04, 2016Ranking Member Johnson Introduces FAA R&D Legislation
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced H.R. 4464, the Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2016. The bill aims to ensure that federal research and development in support of civil aviation remains at the forefront of addressing challenges confronting the Nation’s air transportation system. The Science, Space, and Technology Committee has jurisdiction over the R&D portions of the larger FAA Reauthorization legislation … Continue Reading
February 04, 2016Subcommittees Consider Recommendations for NSF Project Management Reform
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Research & Technology and Oversight held a joint hearing entitled, “A Review of Recommendations for NSF Project Management Reform.” The goal of this hearing was to review recommendations made by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in their recent report, National Science Foundation Use of Cooperative Agreements to Support Large Scale Investment in Research. Several years ago, the National … Continue Reading
February 03, 2016Subcommittee Stresses the Need for a Solid Plan for Getting Humans to Mars
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing titled, “Charting a Course: Expert Perspectives on Human Exploration Proposals.” The purpose of the hearing was to examine the possible options for various architectures and intermediate steps to develop the capabilities and skills necessary to land humans on Mars while maintaining constancy of purpose through the next presidential administration. Testifying before the … Continue Reading
February 02, 2016Democrats Explore Economic and Health Benefits Made Possible by the Paris Climate Agreement
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing titled, “Paris Climate Promise: A Bad Deal for America.” This hearing is a follow-up to a December 1, 2015 hearing titled “Pitfalls of Unilateral Negotiations at the Paris Climate Change Conference.” The hearing served as another forum for the Majority to continue their attacks against the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan, the well-established science of climate change, and the legal … Continue Reading
January 30, 2016Ranking Member Johnson Statement on Computer Science for All
(Dallas, TX) - Today, in his weekly address, President Obama announced the Computer Science for All initiative, a plan to "empower a generation of American students with the computer skills they need to thrive in a digital economy." Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said the following. "I was excited to hear the announcement about Computer Science for All. "The importance of computer science education cannot be overstated. The current disconnect between the high demand for … Continue Reading