Ranking Member Emphasizes Need for Robust R&D Funding at Subcommittee Hearing
(Washington, DC) - Today the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held an Energy Subcommittee hearing to discuss the benefits of and challenges to developing the next generation of supercomputers and, more broadly, the need for greater federal investments in research and development. The witness panel testifying before the subcommittee included longtime advisor to the Committee and friend of the Ranking Member, Mr. Norman Augustine. He is the former Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, … Continue Reading
January 28, 2015Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on NASA’s Day of Remembrance
(Washington, DC) - Today is NASA’s Day of Remembrance, a day designated to honor those NASA employees who lost their lives “while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.” Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “We remember the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia with great sadness. I am humbled by their heroism, which truly did help further the cause of exploration and discovery. I am so grateful for the contributions of all of our astronauts and … Continue Reading
January 27, 2015Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Cyber Threats
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research & Technology held a hearing on the threat of cybercrime, the Federal government’s role in preventing cyber-attacks, and the research necessary to properly prepare businesses and governments alike. The witnesses testifying before the subcommittee were Ms. Cheri McGuire, Vice President of Global Government Affairs & Cybersecurity Policy at Symantec Corporation; Dr. James Kurose, Assistant … Continue Reading
January 27, 2015Committee Approves Rules Package that Undercuts Minority Rights
(Washington, DC) - Today the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held an organizational meeting to approve the Committee rules for the 114th Congress. Democratic Members of the Committee were strongly opposed to a number of changes to the rules that departed from longstanding Committee practice, and which would severely undermine the Minority rights. Democratic Members offered several amendments to improve the rules package. All of the amendments were defeated. The rules were approved … Continue Reading
January 22, 2015Ranking Member Johnson Introduces STEM Opportunities Act
(Washington, DC) - Today Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced H.R. 467, the STEM Opportunities Act of 2015. The legislation is similar to legislation she has introduced several Congresses in a row, including H.R. 1358 in the 113th Congress. Ms. Johnson said, “The evidence keeps mounting that it is critical to our Nation’s economic leadership and global competitiveness that we educate and train more scientists and engineers. A wave of retirements is about to hit many of our … Continue Reading
January 21, 2015Committee Examines Status of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Regulations, and Research
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to examine the research and development (R&D) related to integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) and how that research is informing the regulatory process needed to ensure safe UAS operations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) carry out research on UAS integration into the NAS. Ranking Member … Continue Reading
January 21, 2015Ranking Member Johnson’s Response to the President’s State of the Union Address
(Washington, DC) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address: “While our nation pushes forward with renewed optimism behind our growing economy, I hope this Congress can, as the President stated, come together to ‘recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward’ and find bipartisan solutions to the challenges that lay before us. “Our nation’s research and development … Continue Reading
January 14, 2015Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Administration’s Announcement on Cutting Methane Emissions
(Washington, DC) - Today, as part of the Climate Action Plan, the Administration announced a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 - 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025, and a set of actions to help achieve this goal. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said the following. “Thanks in part to federal investments in climate science research, we know that although carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas we hear about most, methane is about 25 times more potent … Continue Reading
January 07, 2015House Passes Legislation on Tsunamis, Windstorms, and Radiation Research
(Washington, DC) - Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 35, the Low-Dose Radiation Research Act; H.R. 23, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization; and H.R. 34, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act. These are all bills that passed the House with strong bipartisan support last Congress. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “Though last Congress was a challenging environment for bipartisanship, we were able to work across the aisle and pass … Continue Reading
December 12, 2014Congress Passes Cybersecurity Legislation
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, the House and Senate each passed S. 1353, the Cybersecurity Act of 2013 with bipartisan support. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for signature. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent with an amendment and then passed the House without objection. S. 1353 incorporates a number of provisions from H.R. 756, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013 that moved on a bipartisan basis through the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and then was … Continue Reading
December 11, 2014Subcommittee Discusses the Future of U.S. Nuclear Energy
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing to examine the future of civilian nuclear energy in the U.S., including the potential path forward to greater utilization of nuclear energy within the country’s energy portfolio. The subcommittee heard from two panels. Testifying on the first panel was the Honorable Peter Lyons, Assistant Secretary in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of … Continue Reading
December 10, 2014Space Subcommittee Discusses Progress of SLS-Orion Development and Successful EFT-1 Mission
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing to discuss the progress of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew vehicle. The hearing came in the wake of a successful test flight of Orion aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket last week. Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) said, “The flight subjected Orion and its systems to the rigors of outer space beyond low Earth orbit to test key systems, verify … Continue Reading
December 05, 2014Ranking Members Johnson and Edwards Applaud NASA’s Successful EFT-1 Test of the Orion Exploration Crew Vehicle
(Washington, DC) - Today, NASA conducted its Exploration Flight Test-1 of the Orion exploration crew vehicle, which launched this morning aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The unmanned flight test lasted approximately four and a half hours and ended with a successful splashdown of Orion in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The test, which sent the Orion capsule more than 3,600 miles above the surface of the Earth, will provide … Continue Reading
December 03, 2014Hearing to Discuss Audits of NSF Program Proves Untimely and Unproductive
(Washington, DC) -Today the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to discuss two audits of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Testifying before the Committee were the Honorable Allison Lerner, Inspector General of NSF and the Honorable Anita Bales, Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). Due to the timing the witnesses were only able to speak on preliminary observations regarding management fee policies at … Continue Reading
November 26, 2014Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the EPA’s Proposed Ozone Standard
(Washington, DC) -Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed new standard for ozone, the pollutant that causes smog. The proposal would lower the current standard of 75 parts per billion to a standard in the range of 65-70 parts per billion, while taking public comment on a level as low as 60. According to the EPA analysis, “strengthening the standard to a range of 65 to 70 ppb will provide significantly better protection for children, preventing from 320,000 to … Continue Reading
November 20, 2014Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson Reelected as Ranking Member of Committee
(Washington, DC) -Today, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) was elected by her colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to continue as Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for the 114th Congress. Ranking Member Johnson said the following. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology over these past two Congresses, and I am eager to continue to work with my colleagues on the Committee. Though the … Continue Reading
November 19, 2014House Passes Pernicious EPA Scientific Advisory Board Bill
(Washington, DC) - Today the House passed H.R. 1422, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, 232-195. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “H.R. 1422 is a continuation of the Majority’s anti-science agenda. It benefits no one but industry, and it harms public health. The bill before us today “reforms” EPA’s Science Advisory Board not for the better, but for the worse. The supposed intent of H.R. 1422 is to improve the process of selecting advisors to serve on the agency’s … Continue Reading
November 19, 2014Republicans' Search for Political Scapegoat Comes Up Empty
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held an Oversight Subcommittee hearing to question former White House Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Todd Park, on his involvement in the development of the Healthcare.gov website prior to October 1, 2013. The hearing came in the wake of a Majority staff report released in October that alleged Mr. Park had misled the Congress in testifying before another Committee. Under aggressive questioning from Members, Mr. Park’s … Continue Reading
November 19, 2014House Passes another Bill to Undermine EPA
(Washington, DC) - Today the House passed H.R. 4012, the Secret Science Reform Act, 237-190. The Majority claims that H.R. 4012 increases EPA's transparency and accountability by ensuring that its regulations are based on public data that can be verified and reproduced. In reality, H.R. 4012 prevents EPA from functioning effectively and using the best available scientific data-including data that is legally protected from public disclosure. Any effort to limit the scope of science that can be … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014House to Consider Partisan Anti-Science Bills Aimed at Hamstringing EPA
(Washington, DC) - This week the House will consider three particularly partisan bills, two of which previously passed out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The two bills considered at the Committee, were strongly opposed by the Democratic Members. These bills represent another installment in the ongoing attempt by the Majority to hamstring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it attempts to carry out its mission. Republicans will claim that H.R. 4012, the Secret … Continue Reading