Subcommittees Discuss Potential Use of Public-Private Partnerships in Support of NASA’s Earth Science Research
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittees on Space and Environment held a joint hearing titled, “Exploring Commercial Opportunities to Maximize Earth Science Investments.” The purpose of the hearing was to explore ways NASA might complement its Earth observations by leveraging commercial remote sensing capabilities. Ranking Member of the Space Subcommittee, Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), said, “Earth observations support a myriad of applications to … Continue Reading
November 05, 2015Majority Provides Pebble Mining Company with Public Platform to Criticize EPA
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing the Majority titled, “Examining EPA’s Predetermined Efforts to Block the Pebble Mine.” The hearing was used to provide a platform for the Canadian company Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) to levy accusations against the Environmental Protection Agency and its use of Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act last year to restrict development of the company’s proposed Pebble Mine. Pebble Mine would be one … Continue Reading
November 03, 2015Joint Subcommittee Hearing Examines the Renewable Fuel Standard and the Future of Advanced Biofuels
(Washington, DC) - Earlier today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Environment and Oversight held a joint hearing discussing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS was signed into law in 2005 and expanded in 2007. The program aims to set annual standards that require a certain volume of renewable biofuel be included in the U.S. fuel supply. The RFS was created in an effort to reduce U.S. dependence on oil, improve economic security, spur rural … Continue Reading
November 02, 2015Ranking Members Johnson and Edwards Congratulate NASA and its ISS Partners of 15 Years of Continuous Operation
(Washington, DC) - Today marks a major milestone in NASA’s proud history of human space exploration. NASA and its international partners have now continuously occupied the International Space Station (ISS) for 15 years. On November 2, 2000, the crew of Expedition 1 arrived at the space-based laboratory; Commander William Shepherd of NASA and cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko of Roscosmos formed that first team. Their mission marked the start of an uninterrupted human presence on the … Continue Reading
October 28, 2015Subcommittee Discusses Reauthorization of NITRD Program
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a legislative hearing to inform a reauthorization of the Networking and Information Technology R&D (NITRD) program. Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. Keith Marzullo, Director of the National Coordination Office for NITRD; Dr. Gregory D. Hager, Mandell Bellmore Professor, Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and Co-Chair of the NITRD … Continue Reading
October 28, 2015Ranking Member Johnson Statement on the "Nation's Report Card"
(Washington, DC) - Today, the National Assessment of Educational Progress the reading and math results for 4th and 8th graders from the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card, were released. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said the following:“These scores are disheartening. We have known for years that we have an education crisis in this country, and we must do something about it if we hope to compete in the 21st century global … Continue Reading
October 27, 2015Committee Discusses DHS S&T Directorate
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to inform the reauthorization of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T). The Committee shares jurisdiction with the Committee on Homeland Security on research, development, demonstration, and standards-related activities of DHS, and oversees the activities of both S&T Directorate and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). Testifying before the … Continue Reading
October 23, 2015Ranking Member Johnson Letter to Chairman Smith on NOAA Subpoena
(Washington, DC) –Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent a letter to Chairman Smith in response to the Committee’s recent issuance of a subpoena to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Kathryn Sullivan for documents and communications related to climate research. You can find the text of Ms. Johnson’s letter here. Related Content Ranking Member Johnson Letter to Chairman Smith on NOAA … Continue Reading
October 22, 2015Committee Democrats: “We can have a strong economy and a clean environment”
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held its third hearing this year examining the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, a primary component of smog. Democratic Members of the Committee emphasized the strong scientific evidence in support of EPA’s decision to lower the standard to 70 parts per billion, including the thousands of studies used by the Agency in setting the new standard. They … Continue Reading
October 22, 2015Cleaning the Air and Protecting Public Health with EPA’s New Ozone Standard
(Washington, DC) - A compilation of public comments on the EPA's new ozone rule, assembled by Democratic staff, shows near universal support by the public health and medical community for the EPA's efforts to lower the levels of ozone pollution. "Cleaning the Air: A Selection of Public Comments on the EPA’s New Ozone Rule,” provides a snapshot of the public’s wide-ranging support for the new EPA rule released on October 1, 2015. Major national medical organizations, including the American … Continue Reading
October 21, 2015Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson and L’Oréal to Discuss Challenges and Opportunities for Women in STEM
(Washington, DC) - Tomorrow, October 22, 2015, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson will be speaking at the L’Oréal panel discussion for leaders in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. STEM fellows from American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the 2015 L’Oréal USA for Women in Science programs will partake in the panel discussion. The participants will share experiences and discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in STEM. There will also … Continue Reading
October 21, 2015Subcommittees Discuss Electric Power Grid Cybersecurity
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Energy and Research and Technology held a hearing to examine efforts by federal agencies, industry and the Department of Energy national labs to mitigate cybersecurity threats to U.S. power systems, and to specifically explore solutions to mitigate threats that were identified in the joint Energy and Oversight Subcommittee hearing entitled Examining Vulnerabilities of America’s Power Supply held … Continue Reading
October 16, 2015ICYMI – The Hill: EPA Right to Go After Methane
The EPA recently proposed to reduce methane emissions from one of its largest sources -- the oil and gas industry. Methane is more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in its greenhouse gas effects and as such, cutting methane emissions is critical to addressing climate change. This proposal is one piece of the broader effort we need to ensure our children and grandchildren have a healthy environment and vibrant future in the face of climate change. As a Texan, I know both the … Continue Reading
October 14, 2015Ranking Member Johnson Commends 2015 Nobel Laureates
(Washington, DC) - Recently, the 2015 Nobel Prize was awarded to researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, and economics for their valuable contributions to the sciences. The list of Honored Laureates consists of: Dr. Thomas Lindahl, Chemistry Dr. Paul Modrich, Chemistry Dr. Aziz Sancar, Chemistry Dr. Takaaki Kajita, Physics Dr. Arthur B. McDonald, Physics Dr. William C. Campbell, Physiology or Medicine Dr. Statoshi ?mura, Physiology or Medicine Dr. Youyou Tu, … Continue Reading
October 09, 2015Subcommittee Discusses Deep Space Exploration
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing titled, “Deep Space Exploration: Examining the Impact of the President’s Budget.” The purpose of the hearing was to examine the Administration’s management of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew vehicle development programs. The hearing also evaluated NASA’s plans for future major tests and milestones and how the budget requested by … Continue Reading
October 08, 2015Committee Marks Up Dyslexia Research and NSF Grant Review Process Bills
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a markup of H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia (READ) Act, and H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act. H.R. 3033 would require a line item in the annual Congressional budget request to Congress for the Research in Disabilities Education program at NSF. Additionally, the bill would require NSF to devote at least $5 million a year to dyslexia research, … Continue Reading
September 30, 2015Committee Discusses Dyslexia Research Legislation
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia (READ) Act. H.R. 3033 would require a line item in the annual Congressional budget request to Congress for the Research in Disabilities Education program at NSF. Additionally, the bill would require NSF to devote at least $5 million a year to dyslexia research, including in the areas of early identification; professional … Continue Reading
September 29, 2015Committee Assesses Progress in the Search for Life beyond Earth
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review the current state of the science related to the search for life in the universe. Testifying before the Committee were Dr. Ellen Stofan, Chief Scientist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Dr. Jonathan Lunine, Professor, Director of Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University; Dr. Jacob Bean, Professor, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of … Continue Reading
September 18, 2015Joint Subcommittee Hearing Examines Concerns Over Management of the NSF’s National Ecological Observatory Network
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Research & Technology and Oversight held a hearing to discuss the management of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), a major research facility under construction by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The hearing focused on a recently projected $80 million cost overrun to the $433 million project. The project will be kept within budget by a de-scoping plan initiated by NSF and … Continue Reading
September 11, 2015Subcommittee Democrats Stress Importance of Clean Power Plan and Taking Action Now
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing to understand the perspective of States on the final Clean Power Plan rule released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on August 3, 2015. According to EPA, the Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon emissions by 32% by the year 2030. Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) of the Environment Subcommittee said, “The mission of EPA is important yet simple - to protect … Continue Reading