It’s February, and the new Congress is starting its second month in operation. And let’s face it, Congress hasn’t exactly hit the ground running.
Congress includes the critical U. S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. What has this Committee done so far? Not much.
Only one bill (H.R. 477, on hypersonic vehicles) has been referred to the Science and Technology Committee. Zoe Lofgren, the Committee ranking member has issued several scathing press releases on Donald Trump’s attempts to freeze federal funds, his firing of Inspectors General, and his gutting of diversity efforts across federal agencies. These are important statements, but not exactly useful for science and technology research.
What may prove useful is a Committee hearing scheduled for February 5. That hearing is titled: The State of U.S. Science and Technology: Ensuring U.S. Global Leadership.
The opening statement will be made by Zoe Lofgren (where is the Republican chairman, by the way?). Witnesses include:
- The Honorable Heather Wilson, President, The University of Texas at El Paso and Former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
- The Honorable Walter Copan, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines and Former Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Dr. Sudip Parikh, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Publisher, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The hearing will be held at 10 am in the Rayburn Office Building. A live video will be available.
For more information on technology legislation, go to www.congress.gov.