Ranking Member Johnson Reacts to NASA’s Announcement on Commercial Crew Acquistion Approach
(Washington, DC) - Today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that it will be changing its commercial crew acquisition approach to make use of Space Act Agreements (SAAs) instead of its planned Federal Acquisition (FAR)-based approach. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered the following statement: “While I am sympathetic to the difficulties NASA is experiencing following receipt of its appropriations for FY 2012, in light of NASA’s acknowledgement … Continue Reading
December 14, 2011Ranking Member Johnson Applauds Inclusion of SBIR Provisions in National Defense Authorization Act
(Washington, DC) - Recently, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) was appointed as a member of the conference committee of Senate and House lawmakers selected to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and come up with a final compromise version of the legislation. Monday night, the conference committee approved its conference report. The conference report is expected to be voted on by the House and Senate later this week. Following … Continue Reading
December 14, 2011Committee Democrats Introduce Public Safety Broadband Legislation
(Washington, DC) - Today, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Technology and Innovation Subcommittee Ranking Member Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) introduced the Public Safety Broadband Network Enabling Act (H.R. 3642). The legislation will provide $300 million in proceeds from the auction of spectrum to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for research, development, and standards activities that will enable to … Continue Reading
December 07, 2011Subcommittee Democrats Seek Bipartisan Legislation for Rare Earths and Critical Materials
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled, “Energy Critical Elements: Identifying Research Needs and Strategic Priorities.” The stated purpose of the hearing was to discuss research needs and priorities relating to Energy Critical Elements (ECE) and Rare Earth Elements (REE), and to explore potential legislative approaches. Rare earth minerals are a group of seventeen elements with unique … Continue Reading
December 06, 2011Committee Democrats Look Forward to James Webb Space Telescope’s Scientific Potential
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing entitled “The Next Great Observatory: Assessing the James Webb Space Telescope.” The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and scientific and industry stakeholders on the progress and remaining challenges associated with completing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by the target launch date of October 2018. As a next … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011Ranking Member Johnson Honors 2011 Nobel Laureates
(Washington, DC) -Recently, researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine or physiology, and economics received the 2011 Nobel Prize for their contributions to the sciences. Of the nine winners in these fields, eight are either from the U.S. or were working in the U.S. at the time of their award winning research. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) met with the 2011 Nobel Laureates who were attending a reception in their honor yesterday at the Blair House at the … Continue Reading
December 01, 2011Committee Democrats Oppose Republicans’ Bill that Reduces Funding for Hazards Programs
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology considered H.R. 3479, the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011 to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). “This Committee has an important role to play in helping Americans prepare for and recover from tornadoes and other natural disasters by facilitating the disaster resiliency of communities,” Ranking Member Eddie … Continue Reading
November 30, 2011Ranking Member Johnson Honors the Service of Gabriel “Gabe” Zimmerman
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House of Representatives considered House Resolution 364, designating room HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitor Center as the "Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room.” On January 8, 2011, a gunman opened fire outside of a grocery store where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was holding a “Congress on your Corner” event in Tucson, Arizona. Six people were killed and 13 people were wounded. One of the victims, Mr. Gabriel “Gabe” Zimmerman, Ms. Giffords’ Director of Community … Continue Reading
November 30, 2011Subcommittee Receives an Update on the Recovery Act
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing entitled, “Stimulus Oversight: An Update on Accountability, Transparency, and Performance.” The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony on the accountability, transparency, and performance issues associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), commonly referred to as the Recovery Act. On Feb. 13, 2009, Congress passed ARRA to … Continue Reading
November 17, 2011Subcommittee Democrats Call Hearing a Missed Opportunity to Learn from Witnesses About EPA’s Research Enterprise
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled, “Fostering Quality Science at the EPA: The Need for Common Sense Reform.” The purpose of the hearing was to examine the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) research enterprise to meet the agency’s mission to protect public health and the environment. This is expected to be the first hearing in a series on the reorganization and … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011Ranking Member Johnson's Remarks for the Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring John Glenn and the Apollo 11 Crew
Thank you very much for this opportunity to make a few remarks as we honor these four distinguished Americans. You know, “hero” is an overused word, but I think that all who are assembled here today would not hesitate to describe our honorees as genuine national heroes. In fact, the only ones who might object to that description are our honorees themselves. In an age of inflated egos and self-promotion, each of these gentlemen has distinguished himself by his modesty, his competence, his … Continue Reading
November 15, 2011Subcommittee Democrats Oppose Republican Hazards Bill, Decry Inadequate Authorization Levels and Lack of Bipartisanship
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation considered a Committee Print of the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011. This bill would reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). Although Subcommittee Democrats applauded both NEHRP and NWIRP and expressed their strong support for reauthorizing the programs, they were … Continue Reading
November 15, 2011Subcommittee Democrats Press for Clear Administration Commitment to Joint NASA-European Space Agency Mars Initiative
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a hearing entitled, “Exploring Mars and Beyond: What’s Next for U.S. Planetary Science?” The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony from witnesses representing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the prospects for the future exploration of Mars and … Continue Reading
November 03, 2011Subcommittee Discusses STEM Professionals as Volunteers, Mentors, and Teachers in K-12 STEM Education
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing entitled, “STEM in Action: Transferring knowledge from the Workplace to the Classroom.” The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the role that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals can play in improving K-12 STEM education. The hearing focused on approaches and programs that encourage and assist STEM professionals who want … Continue Reading
November 03, 2011Subcommittee Discusses Multiple Motor Fuel Standards, Democrats Emphasize Importance of Clean Air
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing on motor fuel standards. The Subcommittee examined past, current, and future motor fuel standards developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state governments. Members and witnesses discussed the Federal Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS), the Tier 3 and Motor and Fuel Standards, and upstream greenhouse gas emissions standards for oil … Continue Reading
November 02, 2011Subcommittee Democrats Emphasize the Importance of the Federal Role in the Creation of Innovative Small Businesses
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing entitled, “Creating and Growing New Businesses: Fostering U.S. Innovation.” The purpose of the hearing was to examine the current state of small, innovative start-up companies and their role in transformative innovations and job creation. Ranking Member Donna Edwards (D-MD) said, “I am certain that there isn’t a person in this hearing room today that does … Continue Reading
November 02, 2011GAO Points to Progress on Helium-3 Alternatives For Science & Homeland Security Applications
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a “Technology Assessment” on alternative Helium-3 (He-3) neutron detectors. Helium-3 is a key component in radiation monitors used to detect neutron emitting radiation, such as plutonium, a critical material in some nuclear weapons. For the past two years, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has been extensively involved in revealing that there was a critical shortage of Helium-3, and monitoring the … Continue Reading
October 28, 2011Ranking Member Johnson Welcomes Successful Launch of Next Generation Weather and Climate Satellite
Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered her congratulations on the successful launch of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite. NPP is a NASA Earth science research and polar-orbiting satellite that will extend long-term NASA Earth science data observations on the Earth system—clouds, oceans, vegetation, ice, solid Earth, and atmosphere—while also collecting … Continue Reading
October 27, 2011Committee Democrats Push Fairness and Equity in Siting Next Nuclear Waste Repository
(Washington, DC) - Today, the Subcommittees on Investigations and Oversight and Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled, “Review of the Blue Ribbon Commissions Draft Report on America’s Nuclear Future.” However, in reality, the hearing focused primarily on the President’s decision to stop the process of opening Yucca Mountain in Nevada as a nuclear waste repository. In 1984, the Department of Energy (DOE) selected ten locations in six states for consideration as potential nuclear waste … Continue Reading
October 26, 2011Committee Democrats Press for More Information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing entitled “NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program: Accomplishments and Challenges”. The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony from participants in the second stage of NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program (known as CCDev2), as well as from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the NASA Inspector General (IG) on progress made and challenges remaining to … Continue Reading