Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Passing of Dr. Charles M. Vest
(Washington, DC) - Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement after hearing of the passing of Dr. Charles M. Vest. "I was deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Charles M. Vest's passing. He was a great friend to this Committee and I am grateful for the wisdom and guidance he provided as a witness on a number of issues. His contributions to science and engineering and U.S. innovation policy are innumerable. He served as a professor and a dean of engineering; became … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013Subcommittee Discusses Bipartisan Manufacturing Legislation
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing to examine H.R. 2996, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 (RAMI) introduced by Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA) and Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY). H.R. 2996 directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Network for Manufacturing Innovation program to improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and increase domestic production; stimulate … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013Committee Approves NASA Termination Liability Bill
(Washington, DC) - The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology marked up H.R. 3625, “To provide for termination liability costs for certain National Aeronautics and Space Administration projects, and for other purposes.” A Manager’s amendment and the bill were approved by a bipartisan voice vote and reported favorably out of Committee. Ranking Member of the Space Subcommittee Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) said in her opening statement, “I believe that Committee Members on both sides of the … Continue Reading
December 11, 2013Subcommittee Discusses Climate Change Impacts on Severe Weather
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing entitled “A Factual Look at the Relationship between Climate and Weather.” The stated purpose of the hearing was to examine the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events. Members emphasized the prevailing scientific consensus that anthropogenic climate change is real, and discussed the need to better understand the relationship between severe weather … Continue Reading
December 05, 2013Committee Marks Up Several Pieces of Legislation
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a markup to consider four pieces of legislation: H.R. 2413, the “Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013,” H.R. 2431, the “National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013,” H.R. 2981, the “Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013,” and H.R. 3625, “To provide for termination … Continue Reading
December 04, 2013Committee Holds Hearing on Astrobiology
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing entitled, Astrobiology: Search for Biosignatures in our Solar System and Beyond. The purpose of the hearing was to assess the multi- and interdisciplinary nature of astrobiology research, including the role astrobiology plays in space missions; examine the techniques and capabilities necessary to determine the potential for the existence of biosignatures within our Solar System; investigate what … Continue Reading
December 03, 2013Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the 2012 PISA Results
(Washington, DC) - Today, the results of the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were released. PISA is a system of international assessments that measures the performance of 15-year-olds around the world in reading, math, and science literacy every three years and is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Each PISA data collection effort assesses all three areas but one of the three subject areas in greater depth. In 2012, 65 … Continue Reading
December 02, 2013House Approves Bipartisan Bill to Extend Liability Protection for Commercial Space Launches
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act (H.R. 3547) by a vote of 376 to 5. H.R. 3547 is a bipartisan bill that extends for one year a commercial space transportation risk-sharing and liability regime that was established by Congress in 1988 with passage of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments. The bill extends provisions of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments, which cover third-party liability … Continue Reading
November 21, 2013Committee Democrats Comment on the National Space Transportation Policy
(Washington, DC) -Today, the President signed The National Space Transportation Policy, to “ensure that the United States stays on the cutting edge by maintaining space transportation capabilities that are innovative, reliable, efficient, competitive, and affordable, and that support U.S. interests.” Subcommittee on Space Ranking Member Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) said, “I am pleased that there are many similarities between the NASA Authorization Act of 2013 bill I introduced in July and the … Continue Reading
November 20, 2013Bipartisan Bill Extends Liability Protection
Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan group of Science, Space, and Technology Committee leaders today introduced a bill to extend for one year a commercial space transportation risk-sharing and liability regime that was established by Congress in 1988 with passage of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments. The Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act (H.R. 3547) extends provisions of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments, which cover third-party liability for licensed … Continue Reading
November 20, 2013Subcommittee Discusses Commercial Space
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing to examine ways in which companies are utilizing federal support and government policies to grow their commercial space businesses; to address what government policies would be helpful to the U.S. commercial space industry; and to discuss H.R. 3038, the Suborbital and Orbital Advancement and Regulatory Streamlining (SOARS) Act. Testifying before the Subcommittee were Majority … Continue Reading
November 20, 2013Science Democrats Congratulate NASA on 15th Anniversary of the International Space Station
(Washington, DC) - Today marks the 15th anniversary of the start of construction of the International Space Station (ISS). On November 20, 1998, the Zarya Module, the first of many modules to form an ever expanding orbital laboratory, was launched into orbit. Completed in 2011, the station, including its large solar arrays, now spans the area of a football field, including the end zones, and weighs over 900,000 pounds. The ISS is an unprecedented technological and political achievement. … Continue Reading
November 19, 2013Committee Holds Hearing on Healthcare.gov Security
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing on security and privacy issues related to healthcare.gov. The healthcare.gov portal is the public’s interface with Health Insurance Marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It was developed and is operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Signing up has been slow, time consuming, and frustrating … Continue Reading
November 14, 2013EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Testifies Before Committee
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing entitled, “Strengthening Transparency and Accountability within the Environmental Protection Agency.” Testifying before the Committee was the Honorable Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The stated purpose of the hearing was to review science and technology activities at the Environmental Protection Agency. Administrator McCarthy testified for over two … Continue Reading
November 13, 2013Subcommittee Discusses FIRST Act
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing to review the proposed discussion draft of the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act and to discuss federal research and education priorities for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and interagency … Continue Reading
November 08, 2013Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on the Nation’s Report Card Results
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, the reading and math results for 4th and 8th graders from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card, were released. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement. “We have known for years that we have an education crisis in this country, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and math subjects, and we must do something about it if we hope to compete in the 21st century … Continue Reading
October 30, 2013Democrats Show Support for DOE’s Office of Science, Raise Concerns about Majority’s Draft Bill
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing to provide Members with a general overview of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science and to discuss the Majority’s draft legislation which would reauthorize the Office for FY 2014 and FY2015, the “Enabling Innovation for Science, Technology, and Energy in America Act of 2013” (EINSTEIN ACT). Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. Patricia Dehmer, Deputy … Continue Reading
October 29, 2013Subcommittees Discuss Necessary New Source Performance Standard Emission Regulations
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment and Subcommittee on Energy held a joint hearing to address the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first uniform national standards on carbon emissions for new power plants. The EPA proposed New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) emission limits for carbon dioxide on September 20, 2013 in keeping with its mission to protect public health and safeguard the environment. These … Continue Reading
October 28, 2013Ranking Member Johnson Circulates America Competes Discussion Draft
(Washington, DC) - Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) began circulating a Democratic discussion draft of the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2013. In 2007, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology passed bipartisan, landmark legislation based on recommendations from the 2005 National Academies’ report Rising Above the Gathering Storm. The report found that the scientific and technological building blocks critical to our economic leadership are eroding at a … Continue Reading
October 15, 2013Ranking Member Johnson Congratulates 2013 Nobel Laureates
(Washington, DC) - Last week, researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine or physiology, and economics were honored with the 2013 Nobel Prizes for their contributions to the sciences. A list of Honored Laureates is below. Dr. François Englert, Physics Dr. Peter Higgs, Physics Dr. Martin Karplus, Chemistry Dr. Michael Levitt, Chemistry Dr. Arieh Warshel, Chemistry Dr. James E. Rothman, Physiology or Medicine Dr. Randy W. Schekman, Physiology or Medicine Dr. Thomas C. Südhof, … Continue Reading