GAO Recommends Actions to Potentially Save Billions in Future DHS Research and Development Programs
(Washington, DC) -- In a new report the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) take quick actions to ensure that the agency learns from its past mistakes and benefits from best practices in the future. The report, “COMBATING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING: Lessons Learned from Cancelled Radiation Portal Monitor Program Could Help Future Acquisitions,” examines the long and troubled history of the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal (ASP) program, … Continue Reading
June 05, 2013Subcommittees Discuss Wind Hazards - Democrats Emphasize the Need for Adequate Funding and a Multi-Hazards Approach
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Research and Technology held a hearing to review H.R. 1786, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act, which reauthorizes the National Windstorm Reduction Program (NWIRP). NWIRP is an interagency effort created to reduce the losses of life and property from windstorms by studying wind hazards and their impacts, and developing and encouraging the implementation of cost effective mitigation … Continue Reading
June 04, 2013Committee Discusses Proposed Reorganization of STEM Education Programs
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s proposed consolidation and reorganization of federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. Testifying before the Committee were the Honorable John P. Holdren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President (EOP); Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Assistant Director of the Directorate … Continue Reading
May 23, 2013Ranking Member Johnson Congratulates Secretary Moniz, Requests Information from the Department of Energy
WASHINGTON, DC -Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and 22 of her House colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz congratulating him on his recent confirmation, as well as urging the Department to release a long-overdue “roadmap” outlining recommendations about how to develop U.S. energy resources without harming the quality and supply of water supplies. “I look forward to working with the Secretary in my role as Ranking Member on the full range of federal … Continue Reading
May 23, 2013Ranking Member Wilson Introduces Legislation to Advance Research to Mitigate the Impact of Natural Disasters
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee, Frederica Wilson (D-FL), introduced H.R. 2132, the Natural Hazards Reduction Act of 2013. H.R. 2132 reauthorizes the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). “As a Floridian and a survivor of Hurricane Andrew, I know firsthand that natural hazards are a leading threat to America’s economy and American lives,” said Ms. Wilson. “In recent years, … Continue Reading
May 23, 2013Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Weather Forecasting and Proposed Legislation; Chairman and Ranking Member Agree on Need for Second Hearing
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing titled, “Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting,” to discuss draft legislation that would reprioritize research initiatives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) among other things. Testifying before the Subcommittee were two witnesses from the private sector, Mr. Barry Myers, Chief … Continue Reading
May 22, 2013Subcommittee Discusses High Performance Computing Priorities
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing to examine high performance computing research and development challenges and opportunities, specifically as they relate to exascale computing. “Exascale” refers to the next generation of supercomputers in general, but it also refers to a computing system that would be able to carry out a million trillion operations per second. Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. … Continue Reading
May 21, 2013Subcommittee Examines Next Steps for U.S. Human Space Exploration
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing to examine the possible options for the next “best steps” in human space flight and the extent to which each of these options would move the United States closer to a human mission to Mars. The options include the Moon, a near Earth asteroid that has been retrieved and relocated to trans-lunar orbit, an unrelocated near Earth asteroid, or another destination. Testifying … Continue Reading
May 21, 2013Subcommittees Discuss Biometric Technologies
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Research and Technology held a joint hearing titled, “The Current and Future Applications of Biometric Technologies.” Testifying before the Subcommittees were Dr. Charles H. Romine, Director of the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Mr. John Mears, Board Member of the International Biometrics and Identification Association; and Dr. … Continue Reading
May 13, 2013Ranking Members Johnson and Bonamici React to Reporting of Carbon Dioxide Reaching Record Levels
(Washington, DC) - Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reached an average daily level above 400 parts per million, a concentration not seen for at least three million years. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee, Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statements: Ms. Bonamici said, “The reality of climate change is increasingly impossible … Continue Reading
May 09, 2013Subcommittees Discuss Exoplanet Research and Discoveries
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Space and Research held a joint hearing entitled, “Exoplanet Discoveries: Have We Found Other Earths?” to discuss the search for exoplanets, and their relevance to life on Earth, as well as to review the advances in exoplanet research including the Kepler mission’s recent discovery of three super-Earth sized planets. Testifying before the Subcommittees were Dr. Laurance Doyle, Principal … Continue Reading
May 07, 2013Subcommittees Hold Hearing on Keystone XL Pipeline - Committee Democrats Emphasize Safety and Environmental Concerns
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Energy and Environment held a joint hearing entitled, “Keystone XL Pipeline: Examining Scientific and Environmental Issues.” The completed Keystone XL pipeline would transport tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast. The State Department recently released a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) on the pipeline. Democratic Members of the Subcommittees discussed a … Continue Reading
April 26, 2013Subcommittee Democrats Stress the Need to Ensure the Safety of Hydraulic Fracturing
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Energy and Environment held a joint hearing entitled, “Review of Federal Hydraulic Fracturing Activities.” Testifying before the Subcommittees were representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (DOI/USGS), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at the Department of … Continue Reading
April 25, 2013Subcommittee Democrats Stress the Need for Immediate Action on Climate Change
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing entitled “Policy-Relevant Climate Issues in Context.” Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. Judith Curry, Professor at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. William Chameides, Dean at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University; and Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center. … Continue Reading
April 24, 2013Subcommittees Discuss Opportunities and Challenges of Big Data
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Research and Technology held a joint hearing entitled, “Next Generation Computing and Big Data Analytics.” Testifying before the Subcommittees were Dr. David McQueeney, Vice President of Technical Strategy and Worldwide Operations at IBM Research; Dr. Michael Rappa, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Analytics and Distinguished University Professor at North Carolina State … Continue Reading
April 24, 2013Space Subcommittee Reviews NASA’s FY 2014 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Testifying before the Subcommittee was the Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator of NASA. The budget request includes funding for NASA’s science, aeronautics, space technology, and human spaceflight programs as well as construction, … Continue Reading
April 22, 2013Ranking Member Johnson Attends White House Science Fair
(Washington, DC) - Today, President Obama hosted the third annual White House Science Fair to celebrate the achievements of students in a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) endeavors. The White House Science Fair was created to recognize the inspiring work of aspiring young engineers, scientists and mathematicians - the next generation of inventors and innovators. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) was in attendance and visited several exhibits during the … Continue Reading
April 21, 2013Science Democrats Congratulate Orbital Sciences Corporation on First Flight of Antares Rocket
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Orbital Sciences Corporation successfully launched its Antares rocket, a key step toward completing the development of its new launch vehicle and preparing for the demonstration of cargo transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Antares is being developed under a Space Act Agreement with NASA, which has helped fund the development of Antares and its cargo carrying spacecraft Cygnus. In … Continue Reading
April 18, 2013Subcommittee Reviews NIST’s FY 2014 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Testifying before the Subcommittee was the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of NIST, Dr. Patrick Gallagher. Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee, Frederica Wilson (D-FL) said in her opening … Continue Reading
April 17, 2013Committee Reviews President’s FY2014 R&D Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 (FY 2014) budget request for research and development (R&D), demonstration, and commercial application programs. Testifying before the Committee was Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson said in her opening … Continue Reading