House Science Subcommittees on Basic Research, Technology

The Science Committee is the authorizing committee on the House side for most of the federal government’s civilian science and technology policies and programs, particularly those related to physics. Its counterpart in the Senate is the Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space (see FYI #41 .) Agencies under the House Science Committee’s jurisdiction in the 105th Congress include NSF, NASA, NIST, and the Department of Energy’s non-military R&D programs. The Chairman of the House Science Committee, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has declared his intent to pass two-year authorization bills this year for most of the programs his committee is responsible for.

The Science Committee held its organizational meeting last week to vote on revisions to its rules and to formally announce its subcommittee rosters. Sensenbrenner offered several rules changes that were largely uncontroversial. He said that the committee would be “very aggressive” in exercising its oversight responsibilities, and would approach jurisdictional areas by topic and not necessarily by subcommittee (citing DOE labs and computer security as examples.) He set firm time deadlines for answers to the committee’s written questions to hearing witnesses, saying he would issue subpoenas when necessary. Sensenbrenner named Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Michigan), a physicist by training, as the committee’s vice chairman, calling him an “invaluable liaison to the science committee.”

Congress deals primarily with two types of bills, authorization and appropriations. Authorizing legislation gives a federal department or agency permission to spend money and sets policy direction; appropriations provide the actual money. The rosters of the Subcommittees on Basic Research, and on Technology, which are authorizing subcommittees, are listed below. FYI #43 provides the rosters of the Subcommittees on Space and Aeronautics, and on Energy and Environment.

HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE 2320 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-6371 James Sensenbrenner (WI), Chair; George Brown (CA), Ranking (Both are ex-officio members of each subcommittee.) Majority Staff Director: Todd Schultz; (202) 225-6371; 2318 RHOB. Minority Staff Director: Robert E. Palmer; (202) 225-6375; 822 RHOB. SUBCOMMITTEE ON BASIC RESEARCH B-374 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-9662 Legislative jurisdiction and general and special oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to science policy including: Office of Science and Technology Policy; all scientific research, and scientific and engineering resources (including human resources), math, science and engineering education; intergovernmental mechanisms for research, development, and demonstration and cross-cutting programs; international scientific cooperation; National Science Foundation; university research policy, including infrastructure, overhead and partnerships; science scholarships; government-owned, contractor-operated Department of Energy laboratories; computer, communications, and information science; earthquake and fire research programs; research and development relating to health, biomedical, and nutritional programs; and to the extent appropriate, agricultural, geological, biological and life sciences research. Steven H. Schiff (R-N.M.) -- chairman

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY 2319 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-8844 Legislative jurisdiction and general and special oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to competitiveness including: standards and standardization of measurement; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the National Technical Information Service; competitiveness, including small business competitiveness; tax, antitrust, regulatory and other legal and governmental policies as they relate to technological development and commercialization; technology transfer; patent and intellectual property policy; international technology trade; research, development, and demonstration activities of the Department of Transportation; civil aviation research, development, and demonstration; research, development, and demonstration programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; surface and water transportation research, development, and demonstration programs; materials research, development, and demonstration and policy; and biotechnology policy. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.) -- chairman