Subcommittee Examines the Financial and Environmental Benefits of Energy Savings Performance Contracts
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittees on Oversight and Energy held a joint hearing titled, “Green Buildings - An Evaluation of Energy Savings Performance Contracts.” An Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) is a partnership between a Federal agency and an energy service company (ESCO) to “allow Federal agencies to accomplish energy savings projects without up-front capital costs and without special Congressional appropriations.” … Continue Reading
June 26, 2013Subcommittee Democrats Remain Concerned About Proposed Weather Forecasting Legislation
(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, Part Two” to examine ways to improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) weather forecasting, and to receive testimony on draft legislation to prioritize weather-related research. Today’s hearing supplemented a prior hearing held on May 23, 2013. Testifying before the Subcommittee were … Continue Reading
June 25, 2013Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on The President’s Climate Action Plan
(Washington, DC) - Today, President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan, an important next step to cut carbon pollution while advancing the new energy technologies that we will need for the future. The plan takes clear steps to address climate change by directing the Environmental Protection Agency to establish federal greenhouse gas emission standards for both existing and future power plants. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following statement on the President’s … Continue Reading
June 18, 2013Statement on the Introduction of the Sally K. Ride Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2013
Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago today, Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel into space. For that, she will be forever enshrined in history. But as impressive as that feat was, she made many other contributions to our country that were just as important. In recognition of all of her achievements, today I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the Sally K. Ride Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2013, which was introduced by my colleague Representative Scott Peters. Sally Ride was a … Continue Reading
June 18, 2013Subcommittee Democrats Concerned About Draft NASA Reauthorization Bill
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space held a hearing on the Majority’s recently released discussion draft of the NASA Authorization Act of 2013. Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. Steven Squyres, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University, and Mr. A. Thomas Young, former Executive Vice President at Lockheed Martin Corporation and former Director of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Ranking Member of … Continue Reading
June 18, 2013Committee Democrats Promote Clean Energy Future
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) science and technology priorities. Testifying before the Committee was Dr. Ernest Moniz, the recently confirmed Secretary of Energy. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said in her opening statement, “It’s no secret that Congress’s inability to come to an agreement on a sensible budget plan has led to some devastating cuts with serious impacts to … Continue Reading
June 12, 2013Subcommittee Discusses Ozone Standards, Democrats Emphasize the Importance of Protecting Public Health
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground level ozone, which is a main contributor to smog. Ozone is a pollutant regulated by the Clean Air Act because it is considered harmful to public health and the environment. The EPA is in the process of reviewing the ozone NAAQS, as required every five years by the … Continue Reading
June 11, 2013GAO 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