Subcommittee Examines Ways to Improve Undergraduate and Graduate STEM Education
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Science and Technology Committee’s Research and Science Education Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the current state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in U.S. colleges and universities. Specifically, Subcommittee Members and witnesses discussed ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of STEM education for undergraduate and graduate students. Members also examined the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) role in … Continue Reading
February 04, 2010House Approves S&T Legislation to Improve Cybersecurity R&D by Overwhelming Majority
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4061, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, by a vote of 422 to 5. This bill will improve cybersecurity within the federal government as well as the public and private sectors by: helping to develop a skilled cybersecurity workforce; coordinating and prioritizing the federal research and development (R&D) portfolio; improving the transfer of cybersecurity technologies to the marketplace; and promoting cybersecurity education … Continue Reading
February 04, 2010Chairman Gordon Applauds Dr. Bement’s Service at NSF
(Washington, DC) - Today, Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced his departure from NSF to lead Purdue University's new Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI) in West Lafayette, Indiana. Dr. Bement will begin his new position as GPRI Director on June 1, 2010. House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following statement: "Dr. Arden Bement and his staff at NSF provided very helpful input and … Continue Reading
February 03, 2010Subcommittee Chairman Lipinski's Floor Speech on H.R. 4061
as prepared for delivery I'd like to begin by thanking my colleagues, Dr. Ehlers, Mr. Wu, Mr. Smith, Chairman Gordon, and Mr. Hall for their contributions to the good bipartisan bill we are considering today. Almost a year ago President Obama called for a comprehensive 60 day review of U.S. cyberspace policy. This call, and the expert recommendations contained in the report that resulted, led to a series of hearings on various aspects of cybersecurity R&D, including the state of … Continue Reading
February 03, 2010Chairman Gordon's Floor Speech on H.R. 4061
as prepared for delivery Mr./Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I'd like to begin by thanking my colleagues, Dr. Lipinski, Dr. Ehlers, Mr. Wu, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Hall for their contributions to the good bipartisan bill we are considering today. I'd also like to take a moment to thank the various staffers who worked on this bill: Marcy Gallo, Travis Hite, Dahlia Sokolov, and Mike Quear on the Majority side, and Dan Byers and Mele Williams on the Minority staff. … Continue Reading
February 03, 2010Subcommittee Discusses Need for Airport Screening to be Both Effective and Publicly Accepted
(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to review airline passenger screening-related research, development, testing, and deployment activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories. “The attempted bombing on Christmas Day revealed gaps in … Continue Reading
February 03, 2010Subcommittee Chairman Wu's Floor Speech on H.R. 4061
as prepared for delivery Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4061, which will improve our nation's cybersecurity by supporting research and development and the creation of usable technical standards. Cybersecurity is a critically important issue, and I commend Chairman Gordon for bringing this legislation to the floor today. The recent cyberattack perpetrated against Google and other American companies is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities we face in an … Continue Reading
February 01, 2010Chairman Gordon Comments on President’s Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today, the White House released a summary of the President's FY11 Budget Request. House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following statement: "I applaud the president's commitment to R&D. I'm pleased to see continued increases for the agencies in COMPETES: National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, as well as substantial funding for … Continue Reading
January 29, 2010Statement by Chairman Gordon and Chairwoman Giffords on NASA’s Day of Remembrance
(Washington, DC) - Today, January 29, 2009 is a Day of Remembrance for the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to mark the sacrifice of the 17 astronauts who were lost in the Apollo 1, Space Shuttle Challenger, and Space Shuttle Columbia tragedies, and the seven others who lost their lives in support of the space program. The Committee on Science and Technology shares the NASA family’s sadness on this solemn day and extends its sympathies to the … Continue Reading
January 27, 2010Program to Foster Innovation in Energy Technologies Is Off to a Promising Start, Members Hear
(Washington, DC) - Today, House Committee on Science and Technology held a hearing on the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) at the Department of Energy (DOE). Members and witnesses discussed the accomplishments and future plans for the agency, as well as the role of ARPA-E in the larger energy technology landscape. “Just as the originators of DARPA can look back on its successes—the internet, stealth technology, GPS—I firmly believe that, in the … Continue Reading
January 21, 2010Subcommittee Examines Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs at the Department of Commerce
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to discuss the challenges faced by small- and medium-sized manufacturers, as well as Department of Commerce initiatives to support entrepreneurship and job creation and retention. "The health of the manufacturing sector is critically important to the health of the economy as a whole, since it was responsible for the creation of over $1.637 trillion worth of … Continue Reading
January 20, 2010COMPETES Critical to Workforce, Must be Reauthorized, Business Community Tells Committee
(Washington, DC) - Today, House Committee on Science and Technology held its first hearing of the second session of Congress to get opinions on the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69), which Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced is a key part of the Committee's agenda for 2010. Specifically, the hearing examined the roles that science and technology play in promoting economic security and maintaining U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century global marketplace. In this … Continue Reading
January 19, 2010Reauthorization of America COMPETES Act Tops Committee’s Agenda, Chairman says
(Washington, DC) - Today, Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) held an event to announce his agenda for the second session of the 111th Congress. Chairman Gordon announced his intention to move the America COMPETES Act through the House before the Memorial Day recess. COMPETES is the landmark legislation, signed into law in 2007, based on recommendations from the National Academies. It aims to strengthen our national economic competitiveness through investments in … Continue Reading
January 13, 2010Bill to Extend Commercial Space Transportation Liability Regime Is Now Law
(Washington, DC) - House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon's (D-TN) bill to extend the commercial space transportation liability regime was signed into law (P.L. 111-125) by President Obama on December 28, 2009. H.R. 3819, the Commercial Space Transportation Liability Regime Extension, passed the House on October 20, 2009 and was approved under unanimous consent by the Senate on December 23, 2009. The bill extends the current liability risk-sharing regime for three … Continue Reading
January 13, 2010Report Finds Common Ground in Efforts to Balance Public Access, Scholarly Publishing
(Washington, DC) - A group of representatives from university administration, libraries, information science departments, and the publishing industry collectively released a report with recommendations on open access, specifically the public availability of peer-reviewed journal articles containing data and findings from federal research grants. The report's recommendations, endorsed by a majority of the 14 members of the group, called the Scholarly Publishing Roundtable, sought to "balance … Continue Reading
January 06, 2010Chairman Gordon Applauds White House Announcement of Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Science, Math Education
(Washington, DC) - Today, House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) is attending an event at the White House celebrating the importance of teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following statement: "I applaud the White House's announcement today of a $250 million public-private effort to improve STEM education. The U.S. needs not only to keep producing the world's best scientists, … Continue Reading
December 16, 2009House Approves Jobs Package Including Funding for Fire Program, DOE Loan Guarantee Program
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act, by a vote of 217 to 212. The bill uses existing available funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and includes $500 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which helps fire departments hire firefighting personnel. The program currently has $420 million appropriated for FY2010. After 120 days, any funds not awarded for the SAFER … Continue Reading
December 14, 2009Chairman Gordon Announces His Plans to Retire at the End of the 111th Congress
(Washington, DC) - Today, House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2010. Chairman Gordon has completed more than a quarter-century of public service as a representative of his home state of Tennessee. He first served on the Science and Technology Committee when he arrived in Congress in 1985. Gordon served in leadership roles on several Subcommittees before becoming Ranking Member in 2004 and then Chairman in … Continue Reading
December 11, 2009Aerospace Workforce and Industrial Base At Critical Juncture, Committee Hears
(Washington, DC) -The House Committee on Science and Technology held a hearing to examine the health of the U.S. aerospace workforce and industrial base and to determine howupcoming decisions on NASA's direction and funding would affect them, including decisions on human spaceflight plans. The aerospace workforce and the industrial base are vital to the success of the space enterprise. As the nation looks forward, it will continue to depend on these talents and capabilities to support … Continue Reading
December 04, 2009Subcommittees Hold Oversight Hearing to Examine Audit of NASA’s Financial Operations
(Washington, DC) -The House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight and Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a joint hearing to examine the recent results of the independent Fiscal Year 2009 audit of financial operations at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). "It only took about half as long to get to the moon as it has taken to clean up NASA's financial performance, but three tries, hundreds of millions of dollars and the … Continue Reading