On FEMA Trailers Matter: Committee Leadership Calls on Gerberding to Protect De Rosa, Restore Him to His Post
(Washington, DC) Yesterday, in conjunction with the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology hearing on an investigation into the toxic FEMA trailers put in place after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, senior Committee Members sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Julie Gerberding, asking that she suspend all personnel actions against Dr. Chris De Rosa and return him to his post as Director of the Division of Toxicology and Environmental … Continue Reading
April 01, 2008Subcommittee Investigates FEMA’s Toxic Trailers
(Washington, DC) The House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight today examined how and why the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a sister agency of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), failed to protect the public’s health after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The agency failed to translate scientific findings and facts into appropriate public health actions which would have resulted in properly informing and warning tens of … Continue Reading
March 17, 2008U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Presides over Bipartisan Congessional Field Hearing on Utility-Scale Solar Power
(Tuscon, Arizona) U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today called solar energy a practical solution to some of the most significant challenges America will confront in the 21st century. "The time for solar is now," Giffords told an audience of 130 attending a bipartisan congressional field hearing on solar energy. "Technologies are improving, costs are falling and the reasons to adopt it are increasingly compelling." Giffords, who presided over the hearing in her capacity as … Continue Reading
March 13, 2008Subcommittee Seeks Answers on EPA Library Closures
(Washington, DC) The House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations & Oversight today examined the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) effort to close regional and research libraries around the country. These closures have hindered EPA staff access to important records and reduced public access to environmental information. ""The most generous possible explanation is that EPA managers were stunningly incompetent," said Subcommittee Chairman … Continue Reading
March 13, 2008Gordon: House Budget Resolution Makes Investments to Spur American Innovation
(Washington, DC) Today, House Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) praised the passage of the FY2009 House budget resolution, H.Con.Res. 312. The House budget resolution includes an additional $1.98 billion over the FY2008 appropriated levels for science, space, and technology - an amount that will fully accommodate the commitments made in the America COMPETES Act (PL 110-69) for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy Office of Science. Additional budget … Continue Reading
March 13, 2008Subcommittee Expresses Concern over Budgetary Outlook for NASA Science Programs
(Washington, DC) - The House Science and Technology Committee's Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee held a hearing today to examine the state of NASA's space and Earth science programs as reflected in the Administration's FY09 budget. This hearing, dedicated specifically to NASA's science programs, builds upon the Committee's recent look at the agency's overall FY09 budget. "NASA's science program has long been one of the agency's 'crown jewels', and it has delivered outstanding results … Continue Reading
March 13, 2008GAO Report Finds EPA Library Closures Flawed
Washington, DC - A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) effort to close regional and research libraries around the country has been plagued by managerial problems. The report says that the decision to close libraries was not justified and strongly suggests that the entire process EPA has followed in closing the libraries is flawed and could deprive the public, EPA staff, state and local agencies, and academics with … Continue Reading
March 12, 2008On Committee’s 50th Anniversary, Microsoft’s Bill Gates Addresses America’s Global Leadership in Science and Technology
(Washington, DC) - In what is likely to be his final congressional testimony before devoting the majority of his time on his philanthropic work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates today testified before the House Science & Technology Committee on efforts needed to strengthen our country's competitiveness in the global marketplace, policies to encourage innovation and the role of technology in our economic growth. "During the last 50 years, the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2008Subcommittee Reviews NIST’s FY09 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to discuss the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) FY09 budget request. Subcommittee Chairman David Wu (D-OR) and Members discussed how NIST is addressing the requirements and funding levels set forth in the America COMPETES Act (PL 110-69) and the overall direction of the agency. The America COMPETES Act (H.R.2272), a bill to improve the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2008Members Attend Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour
(Washington, DC) Over night, the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-123) lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida en route to the International Space Station (ISS). According to NASA, the shuttle crew will deliver the first section of the Japanese-built Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system called Dextre. Leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology - including Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee … Continue Reading
March 11, 2008Subcommittee Examines How to Effectively Commercialize Nanotechnology Research for Public Good
Washington, D.C. - As part of the Committee's reauthorization process for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), today the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing to examine how well the initiative is supporting activities to make sure that the results of nanotechnology research are translated into commercial products and processes. Subcommittee Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA) and Subcommittee members also studied whether … Continue Reading
March 06, 2008Subcommittee Reviews DHS Budget Priorities for FY09
(Washington, DC) - Today, the House Science and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to review the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) FY09 budget request for research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E). Subcommittee Chairman David Wu (D-OR) and Members questioned DHS officials on priorities within the Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) - programs over which the … Continue Reading
March 05, 2008Gordon Comments on Global Environmental Assessment
(Washington, DC) Today the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its Environmental Outlook to 2030, an assessment of key environmental challenges facing nations around the globe. The report divides environmental trends and challenges into three categories - "green light" (issues where there has been significant improvement); "yellow light" (issues that have seen some improvement or are still under evaluation); and "red light" … Continue Reading
March 05, 2008Subcommittee Examines DOE FY09 Budget Proposal
(Washington, DC) The U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy and Environment today reviewed the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) fiscal year 2009 (FY09) budget request for research and development programs. The $7.7 billion request for DOE civilian energy R&D funding in FY2009 is divided among five offices. The Office of Science funds basic research at universities and 17 national laboratories, and is the single largest federal supporter of physical … Continue Reading
February 29, 2008Houston Poised to Address World’s Energy Challenges
(HOUSTON, TX) Today, Energy challenges facing the world grow daily but Houston is uniquely positioned to play a key roll in mitigating these hurdles. Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX), held a field hearing at Rice University to explore how the energy industry and cities like Houston are working to address challenges in areas such as energy supply and security, global climate change, and rapid economic growth. "Oil and gas will absolutely continue to play … Continue Reading
February 27, 2008Committee Passes Legislation to Advance Green Transportation Research, Fire Safety and Border Security
(Washington, DC) Today, the House Science and Technology Committee favorably passed three bills improving the environment, public safety, and border security. Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) led the markup on H.R. 5161, the Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Technology Transfer Act; H.R. 4847, the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008; and H.R. 3916, a bill to provide for the next generation of border and maritime security technologies. … Continue Reading
February 26, 2008Subcommittee Examines FY09 NOAA Budget; Releases GAO Report on Effectiveness of U.S. Aviation Weather Services
(Washington, DC) Today, the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy and Environment examined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY 2009 budget proposal. The Committee also released a report at the hearing from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding Aviation Weather Services. NOAA oversees U.S. weather forecasting, climate prediction, management of fisheries and coastal and ocean resources. The agency is responsible for … Continue Reading
February 26, 2008Baird, Subcommittee Members Examine Priorities Outlined in the National Science Foundation’s FY09 Budget
(Washington, DC) Today, the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology held an oversight hearing to examine the National Science Foundation's (NSF) FY 2009 budget request and related policy issues. As the primary source of federal funding for non-medical, basic research conducted at colleges and universities, NSF has long-served as a catalyst for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform. Subcommittee … Continue Reading
February 15, 2008Gordon Comments on OECD/IEA Assessment of Energy Policy Challenges Facing the U.S.
(Washington, DC) Today, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) released an assessment of the challenges facing the United States in energy policy. Every 4-5 years, the IEA conducts a “peer review” of the energy policies of each member country. Chairman Gordon offered the following statement on the release of Energy Policies of IEA Countries - United States - 2007 Review: “The IEA report correctly identifies the two key … Continue Reading
February 15, 2008Gordon, Committee Leaders Ask GAO to Investigate FutureGen
(Washington, DC) Today, the Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology Bart Gordon (D-TN) - joined by fellow Committee Members Nick Lampson (D-TX), Jerry Costello (D-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) - asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Administration's recent decision to pull their support for FutureGen - a project intended to demonstrate next generation coal-fired power production and the centerpiece of the Department of Energy's(DOE) program on … Continue Reading