After almost three hours of debate and a series of roll call votes,
the House of Representatives has passed legislation authorizing $2.4
billion for nanotechnology research over three years. With almost universal
support expressed for nanotechnology, last week's debate on the House
floor centered on possible societal impacts of what House Science Committee
Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) called "a key to future economic
prosperity." The Senate is expected to act on its own bill within
the next few weeks.
H.R. 766, the National Nanotechnology Research and Development Act,
is on a fast track. It has been just three months since it was
introduced by Chairman Boehlert and Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA). In those
three months the bill was the subject of two House hearings and a
successful committee markup. A similar bill in the Senate, S. 189,
also enjoys bipartisan support, and was reviewed during a Senate
hearing earlier this month. Both bills build on nanotechnology
initiatives that have extended over two Administrations. As
Boehlert said, "there is already broad agreement on both sides
of the
aisle, in the administration, and, indeed, in the country at large."
In his remarks, Honda made the case for the legislation, saying, "In
today's business climate, the demand for short-term returns prevents
companies from investing in long-term, high-risk work, which
advancing nanotechnology will require. Therefore, the Federal
Government is one of the few investors that can take a long-term view
and make the sustained investments that are required to bring the
field to maturity."
The stakes are high. Several Members noted that the National Science
Foundation has estimated that by the year 2015 the international
market for nanotechnology products and services could total $1
trillion. Members expressed concern that the United States could
fall behind Japan, South Korea, and Europe in the development of
nanotechnology. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) told her colleagues that
"nanotechnology could very well be the catalyst for national
competitiveness for the next fifty years." Honda later commented,
"It is imperative that in this race, the U.S. must be first across
the finish line."
Under Boehlert's and Ranking Minority Member Ralph Hall's (D-TX)
leadership, the Science Committee has approached its work in a
congenial and bipartisan manner. That spirit was reflected on the
House floor when the time came to offer amendments to the bill. Most
of these amendments centered on getting a better handle on possible
negative societal impacts of nanotechnology. Citing unintended
impacts from nuclear power, DDT, semiconductor manufacture, and
cloning, several Members contended that the provisions in H.R. 766 on
identifying and mitigating undesired impacts be strengthened. Three
of the four amendments dealt specifically with these concerns. Rep.
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered two of the amendments. One was
rewritten on the floor with the assistance of Science Committee staff
and was then accepted. Another was withdrawn by her following
promises that the subject would be revisited in a later House-Senate
conference. Two amendments offered by Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX)
specifying that toxicological and energy research be performed failed
after a amicable exchange of views. The House then passed H.R. 766
by an overwhelming vote of 405-19.
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