International Polar Research Initiative Vital to Global Warming, Climate Research
The House Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research today heard from researchers and climate experts on the status of the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY). The 2007-2008 IPY with be the fourth of its kind since 1882, and will serve as the premier international cooperative research effort focused on polar regions, which are harbingers of global environmental and climate change. "It has become clear that understanding the physical mechanisms at work at the poles is important … Continue Reading
September 19, 2006Members Urge Investigation of EPA Library Closures
Prominent House Committee Ranking Members Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN), John Dingell (D-MI) and Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) today asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate efforts underway at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to close EPA's libraries and reduce access to environmental information. In their letter to the GAO, the Ranking Members of the House Committee on Science, Energy & Commerce and Government Reform stated: "We have grave concerns about the … Continue Reading
September 18, 2006Reps. Gordon and Waxman Release GAO Report on the Data Quality Act
Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) released a GAO report today analyzing the implementation of the Data Quality Act. The GAO report finds that in the first two years of the act, there were 80 substantive challenges to agency information. GAO also confirmed that the majority of data challenges come from industry interests. While agencies do not track the resource burden of responding to these challenges, the impact on agency operations can be significant. GAO found … Continue Reading
September 13, 2006Dems Seek Interoperable Technology Strategy for Border Security
Utilizing new and developing technology is the key to securing U.S. borders, witnesses told the U.S. House Committee on Science today. And the work of the Science & Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is central to identifying and combining those technologies into an effective border security system. "Technology is just as important to securing our borders as muscle and manpower," stated Science Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bart Gordon … Continue Reading
September 08, 2006Rep. Johnson Conducts National Discussion on Science and Minorities
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) today convened some of the nation's top minds in a discussion of how to improve math and science education to encourage more underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "Young people are our nation's future," remarked the Congresswoman. "Fields such as science and engineering have disproportionately low numbers of Blacks and Hispanics, especially those with advanced degrees. Today's … Continue Reading
September 07, 2006GAO Confirms That U.S. Jobs Still Going Overseas
Today, the GAO released a report on the offshoring of American jobs. This report, entitled, OFFSHORING: U.S. Semiconductor and Software Industries Increasingly Produce in China and India (GAO-06-423), largely confirms the findings in the Technology Administration’s long-suppressed report on off-shoring in knowledge intensive industries. GAO found, as Commerce analysts did before them, that offshoring continues to increase in both the semiconductor and software industries. House Science … Continue Reading
August 31, 2006Udall Comments on NASA CEV Contract Announcement
Westminster, CO - Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO), Ranking Member on the House Committee on Science's Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding NASA's announcement that it is granting Lockheed Martin the first major contract to design and build the next crew exploration vehicle: "I am pleased that NASA has selected Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor for the new space exploration vehicle. The initial $8 billion contract will allow Lockheed … Continue Reading
August 02, 2006Committee Holds Renewable Energy Hearing in California
[San Jose, CA] Today, Representatives Michael M. Honda (CA-15) and Judy Biggert (IL-13) held an official hearing of the U.S. House Science Subcommittee on Energy on the potential of renewable energy technologies to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, lower the cost of energy to consumers and boost American international competitiveness. Honda and Biggert are Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Science Subcommittee on Energy, respectively. Testimony was taken by experts in the … Continue Reading
July 26, 2006GAO Raises Significant Concerns on NASA's Acquisition Strategy for CEV
In a report released today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) raises significant concerns about NASA's approach to acquiring key elements of the agency's human exploration initiative. In particular, the GAO questions NASA's plan to commit the government to a long-term contract for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) - the next generation space travel vehicle - prior to having well-defined requirements, a preliminary design, mature technology, and firm cost estimates. The GAO study … Continue Reading
July 25, 2006Congress Needs Access To Best Possible Scientific Information
How Congress processes the science and technology information it receives and how it uses this information in its decision-making has been a concern since Congress made the partisan decision to close its Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in 1995. Today, The U.S. House Committee on Science examined how Congress receives advice on science and discussed areas for improvement. "Keeping America on the cutting edge - in technology, in education, in business - requires access to the best … Continue Reading
July 24, 2006House Joins In Honoring NASA's Michoud Facility Hurricane Katrina "Ride-Out" Team
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H. Res. 892 - submitted by Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA) - recognizing the dedication of the employees at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Southeast Louisiana. The resolution honors a team of facility employees who voluntarily stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina last August to protect the valuable space flight hardware critical to NASA’s space shuttle program from the floodwaters. As hurricane winds exceeded 130 miles per hour and storm … Continue Reading
July 24, 2006Gordon: Commerce Report on Offshoring Confirms U.S. Job Losses May Accelerate
Job losses continue in industrial sectors across the U.S. with little response from the Federal Government, noted U.S. House Science Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN). Gordon and fellow Committee Democrats have sought to highlight this growing problem - known as "offshoring" - in an attempt to insure hard working Americans are kept in the loop on the state of their jobs. Democrats' efforts have centered on obtaining data compiled in 2004 by analysts at the Technology … Continue Reading
July 19, 2006Science Democrats Find Much Work Remains on Improving U.S. Voting Systems
(Washington, DC) The House Committee on Science today held a joint hearing with the Committee on House Administration to investigate the status and reliability of U.S. voting systems. Work in this area has been ongoing since the elections held in 2000. "The development of new voting standards by NIST and the EAC was meant to improve the accuracy, reliability and integrity of our voting systems. However, the facts today highlight that these updated guidelines may have little impact when we … Continue Reading
July 18, 2006National Academies Provides Solid Blueprint for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Program
The House Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics today held a hearing on the future of NASA's aeronautics program. Experts caution that declining aeronautics R&D budgets have cast serious doubt on the future relevance of aeronautics research at NASA -endangering U.S. progress and competitiveness in this important field. "Our Federal aeronautics research capabilities and accomplishments have long been the envy of the world," stated Subcommittee Ranking … Continue Reading
July 13, 2006GAO: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Still Faces “Considerable Challenges”
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report on its review of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program. Development of the JWST was cited as the highest priority in astronomy and astrophysics in the National Academies' 2000 Decadal Survey, with the goal of allowing astronomers "to peer into the distant past and see, for the first time, the birth of the modern universe." Since its inception, the JWST program has undergone significant cost growth … Continue Reading
June 27, 2006Democrats Improve, Amend Committee Energy Package; Urge More Work Before House Consideration
Today, the U.S. House Committee on Science considered a package of energy legislation intended to address America's energy challenges - H.R.5656, Energy Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application Act of 2006. Democrats generally supported the bill - which contained many of their amendments - but they also urged the Majority to include other needed provisions as the bill moves forward. "Whether we are talking about our increasing reliance on foreign sources of … Continue Reading
June 21, 2006Remarks by the Hon. Bart Gordon for the Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences' Government - University - Industry Research Roundtable
Thank you for inviting me to participate in this meeting on strategies for U.S. competitiveness. You have asked me to comment on the status of relevant legislative initiatives. At the outset, I would stress that competitiveness is not a partisan issue; it's a practical one. Unless we maintain our edge in innovation through a strong science and technology enterprise, the best jobs may soon be found overseas, instead of in our communities. Today's children may grow up and have a lower … Continue Reading
June 14, 2006Committee Reports NOAA Organization Bill – Again
The U.S. House Committee on Science resumed work today that began more than one year ago. In the Committee's second consideration of an act to formalize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a recognized federal agency, Democrats again attempted to strengthen the much-needed legislation. "I believe it is important to get this legislation right," stated Ranking Member Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN). "The Organic Act for NOAA must include the tools the … Continue Reading
June 13, 2006What Will NASA’s Future Workforce Look Like?
The House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics today examined whether NASA's current workforce strategy is putting in place the proper tools to meet future agency needs. The verdict: more has to be done to ensure that NASA will be able to attract and retain the workforce it will need to carry out its core missions in science, aeronautics, and exploration. "Ensuring that NASA has the right workforce for the future is going to be no small task and we owe it both to … Continue Reading
June 08, 2006NPOESS/Nunn-McCurdy Findings Leave Unanswered Questions on the State of U.S. Weather Forecasting Satellites
The House Science Committee today heard from agencies involved in the construction of a vital U.S. weather forecasting satellite that has fallen severely behind schedule and is vastly over budget. This is not the first hearing the Committee has held on the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program, and it certainly will not be the last. Today’s topic: the findings of a mandated federal review, known as a Nunn-McCurdy Review (10 U.S.C … Continue Reading