Congress Pushes to Catalog Nation's Capacity to "Bottle" Carbon Emissions from Coal and Other Energy Plants
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere increased by 30 percent, a byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuels. This greenhouse gas is now considered a significant contributor to global climate change. However, recent research has developed the ability to ensure carbon dioxide emissions are not released into the atmosphere but instead are stored harmlessly in the ground in geologic formations, a process called … Continue Reading
February 28, 2007Innovation, Competitiveness Efforts Advance in Several Bills Cleared by Committee
(Washington, DC) Legislation designed to increase support for scientific research and encourage young scientists and researchers to pursue high-risk/high-reward research cleared the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology Committee today, along with several other bills aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness. “You’ve heard me say this time and again, when this Committee sees good ideas with broad bipartisan support, we are going to move those ideas forward. The legislation we … Continue Reading
February 26, 2007Science & Technology Committee Web Site Receives Highest Honor
Chairman Bart Gordon accepts the Gold Mouse Award from Tim Hysom of the Congressional Management Foundation. The House Committee on Science and Technology's minority website from the 109th Congress was honored in February as one of the best in Congress. The website received the Gold Mouse Award, the highest honor issued by the Congressional Management Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan management consulting and research organization in Washington, D.C. … Continue Reading
February 16, 2007Baird Introduces Bills to Increase Country's Global Competitiveness, Support Scientific R&D
House Committee on Science and Technology Research and Science Education Subcommittee Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA) has introduced two bills aimed at increasing America's global competitiveness, and scientific research and development. Both bills have been referred to the Committee. The High-Performance Computing Act, which was introduced with the co-sponsorship of Rep. Judy Biggert who proposed similar legislation during both the 108th and 109th Congress, would improve the planning and … Continue Reading
February 16, 2007GAO: NASA's Management of Its Contractor Award Fees Needs to Be Improved
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report today (GAO-07-58) on procurement practices at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that identifies a number of problems with the agency's management of its contractor award fees. The GAO report, entitled Use of Award Fees for Achieving Program Outcomes Should Be Improved, was requested by House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). "Given NASA's dependence on cost-plus-award-fee … Continue Reading
February 15, 2007Wu Spearheads Look into NIST Budget, U.S. Competitiveness
In his first subcommittee hearing as Chairman, Rep. David Wu (D-OR) led the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation in discussing the Administration's proposed FY2008 budget for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specifically, Members examined whether NIST can maintain its goals of improving competitiveness under the President's proposed budget, which is $25 million less than the FY2007 amount appropriated in H.J.Res. 20. … Continue Reading
February 14, 2007Chairman Will Work to Strengthen Federal Commitment to Science and Math Education, Research
Members of the House Committee on Science and Technology today questioned the White House’s Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) - Dr. John H. Marburger - on the Administration’s proposal for federal research and development funding for Fiscal Year 2008 (FY2008). "You have heard me say this before, but it continues to ring true - as the father of a five year old daughter, I am deeply concerned that our children will be the first generation of Americans not to inherit … Continue Reading
February 13, 2007Committee Examines State of U.S. Weather Forecasting, Climate Monitoring Satellite Systems
Today, the House Committee on Science and Technology heard from the National Academies of Science and Engineering (NAS) on their report detailing the state of the nation's Earth observation satellite monitoring systems - spacecraft and satellite-based instruments used in weather forecasting, collecting critical climate data, monitoring land use and resources, and much more. The National Academies report is entitled Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next … Continue Reading
February 13, 2007Miller Leads Subcommittee Hearing into White House Executive Order That Gives More Political Control Over Public Health, Safety Regulations
Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chair Brad Miller (D-NC) wielded the gavel today at the Subcommittee’s first hearing of the 110th Congress.Today’s hearing was prompted by a directive from the President (Executive Order 12866) which gives the White House greater control in shaping rules that have primarily been generated by civil servants and scientific experts by putting the regulatory process at agencies under control of a political appointee."This order allows political appointees … Continue Reading
February 08, 2007Committee Vows Action on Climate Change
Today, the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology held the first Congressional conversation with climate scientists who authored the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report released last weekend in Paris (February 2, 2007). "This is the first opportunity Congress has had to examine the findings of this important report," said Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). The report, entitled Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis of Climate … Continue Reading
February 08, 2007House Passes Bill Paving the Way for Biofuels
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives moved the nation a step closer to energy independence and a more diversified fuel supply by passing a bill designed to make biofuels more affordable and accessible to retailers and consumers. H.R. 547, the Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act, passed overwhelmingly. Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) authored the bipartisan bill - the first energy legislation cleared by the House this Congress. … Continue Reading
February 07, 2007Members Propose Legislation to Strengthen, Streamline Federal Climate Change Research
(Washington, DC ) - Reps. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Bob Inglis (R-SC) today introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen and streamline federal climate change research and reorient it to make it more user-friendly for state and local governments, planners and researchers. The Global Change Research and Data Management Act is similar to legislation that the Science Committee rejected in 2003 on a party line vote. "All research and evidence indicates that climate change is happening. Ask … Continue Reading
February 07, 2007House Passes Bill to Help Communities Clean Up Methamphetamine
Legislation designed to stem the scourge of methamphetamine (meth) in local communities was approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives. "We have a duty to protect innocent families not only from the criminals who make and use this illegal drug, but also from the aftereffects of that crime," said the bill's author, House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act of 2007 - which passed the House today - … Continue Reading
February 05, 2007
Gordon on President's FY08 Budget:
Lacks Priorities, Consistency to Ensure U.S. Competitiveness
Today, the Administration submitted its budget request for Fiscal Year 2008 to Congress. The almost $3 trillion request includes $142.6 billion for research and development. "While the President's budget includes some important funding increases, it lacks the priorities and consistency to ensure our competitiveness now and in the long run," said House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). "As the father of a five year old daughter, I am deeply … Continue Reading
February 02, 2007Chairman Comments on IPCC Report - Committee Will Be First to Hear from Authors of Report
The House Committee on Science and Technology will hold Congress' first formal hearing on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released today. Several authors of the report will be on hand to discuss their findings with Committee Members next Thursday. Upon release of the IPCC report today, Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following comment: "Expert scientists have provided us with a diagnosis of the problem and a … Continue Reading
January 31, 2007House Honors Distinguished Chemist, Engineers
(Washington, DC ) Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two Science and Technology Committee resolutions; one honoring a venerated African-American chemist, and a second recognizing the contributions of the nation's engineers. H. Con. Res. 34, Honoring the Life of Percy Lavon Julian, was authored by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). The resolution pays tribute to the life accomplishments of Dr. Julian, a black chemist who conquered tremendous odds to earn worldwide acclaim for … Continue Reading
January 31, 2007Committee Clears the Way for Alternative Fuels Legislation
Today, the House Committee on Science and Technology completed consideration of H.R. 547, the Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act. In a full Committee mark-up session this morning, this bill and a commemorative resolution both passed unanimously. "When I took the reins of this Committee I made a promise that this would be a committee of 'good ideas' and 'consensus.' We are here to solve problems," said Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). "I want H.R. 547 to … Continue Reading
January 30, 2007Subcommittee Examines Readiness of U.S. Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
In his first subcommittee hearing of the 110th Congress, House Committee on Science and Technology Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) led an examination of the country's readiness to meet the demands of alternative fuels. "Energy is on everyone's mind these days," said Chairman Lampson. "The price of fuels has been rising and awareness of the extent to which we are dependent upon foreign sources of oil has grown. At the same time, in an effort to … Continue Reading
January 24, 2007Committee Welcomes Members, Announces Subcommittee Chairs
Today, House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) officially announced the full committee membership, subcommittee chairmen and subcommittees for the 110th Congress. The committee has added one subcommittee from the previous line-up in the 109th Congress - the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight - and altered the names of several subcommittees to better reflect their jurisdictions. In addition to the new Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee, the … Continue Reading
January 24, 2007Committee Advances First Legislation of 110th Congress
In its first full Committee meeting of the 110th Congress, the House Committee on Science and Technology today officially organized and adopted rules for the new session. The Committee also approved three pieces of broadly supported bipartisan legislation aimed at cleaning up methamphetamine abuse in local communities, supporting science education and honoring U.S. engineers. "I'm proud these bills are the first to clear our Committee in the new Congress," said Chairman Bart Gordon … Continue Reading