Recent House Science Committee Actions: Assorted Bills; Antarctic Hearing

The House Science Committee, under the direction of Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), has been active recently on a number of science policy fronts. Summarized below are several legislative initiatives and a hearing on NSF’s Antarctic Research Program.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS: On June 9, Sensenbrenner introduced legislation to authorize the Information Technology (IT) programs for agencies under the committee’s jurisdiction (NSF, NASA, DOE civilian R&D, NIST, NOAA, and EPA). President Clinton’s FY 2000 budget request included significant new funding for a multi-agency IT initiative (see FYI #9 ). In issuing authorizing legislation earlier this year for some of these agencies, Sensenbrenner omitted funding for IT initiatives, saying he intended to authorize all the IT programs in a single bill. His legislation, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act (NITRD), authorizes nearly $4.8 billion for federal civilian IT programs over the next five years. This would represent an increase of 92 percent over FY 1999 funding levels.

The bill would not only increase funding for existing IT programs, but also recommend the following new amounts over the same five-year period: $130 million for large research grants into high-end computing, software and networking; $220 million for Information Technology research centers; $385 million for terascale computing hardware; and $111 million (through FY 2002) to complete the Next Generation Internet. The bill would also provide $95 million to establish university programs for internships at IT companies, and require NSF to provide Congress with a comparison of encryption technologies and their availability in the U.S. and other countries. Sensenbrenner called U.S. encryption export control policy “self-defeating.”

“Working with my colleagues and the Administration on this legislation, I intend to fundamentally alter the way federal IT research is supported and conducted,” Sensenbrenner announced. “This proposal would combine increased authorizations for research funding with important policy changes - like a federal focus on long-term basic research - that will keep us at the cutting edge of information technology.” The legislation has bipartisan sponsorship, with 16 Republican and 10 Democratic sponsors so far. House Science Ranking Minority Member George Brown (D-California) stated, “I fully anticipate that this initiative will receive strong bipartisan support and the backing of the White House, which proposed the Information Technology for the 21st Century initiative in this year’s budget.”

R&E TAX CREDIT: Sensenbrenner’s Information Technology bill would also incorporate language to make permanent the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit. After expiring in the summer of 1998, the R&E Tax Credit was extended retroactively for one year in last fall’s omnibus appropriations bill. Unless it is renewed or made permanent, the tax credit is due to expire again on June 30, 1999. There are indications that similar R&E Tax Credit legislation might also be introduced in the Senate.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION: Sensenbrenner also succeeded in having the House approve an amendment to facilitate international cooperation in science. In cases where scientific instruments are too large to be imported into the country in one piece, the amendment eliminates tariffs on the instrument components when they are intended for use in international collaborations. Sensenbrenner’s amendment was attached to H.R. 435, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1999, which was passed by the House on June 7. Sensenbrenner remarked that “clarifying this area of trade law will encourage international scientific cooperation on cutting-edge research projects.”

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH HEARING: On June 9, the House Science Subcommittee on Basic Research held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Antarctic Research Program, which is managed by NSF. Following the recommendations of a 1997 task force headed by Norm Augustine (see FYI #44, 1997 ), the South Pole Station is undergoing a substantial modernization effort as well as safety and environmental upgrades.

Karl Erb, Director of NSF’s Office of Polar Programs, testified that Congress had provided almost all of the funding needed to complete the modernization, enabling “substantial advance procurement.” He reported that both the modernization (totaling $127.9 million; construction to be completed by 2005) and the upgrades ($25 million; through 2002) are on schedule and on budget and “proceeding vigorously.” Questioned about the impact on the science programs of diverting resources to construction, Erb said that although the program’s ability to “deploy large new research projects certainly will be curtailed over the next three years,” as anticipated, “the capability for research embodied in the new station will more than compensate for the short-term impacts.” Donal Manahan, Chair of the National Research Council’s Polar Research Board, noted that the Board had solicited input on this question from a range of scientists, and “overall, the responses were very positive.” Most scientists, Manahan said, felt no negative impacts from the modernization. The largest impact was experienced by geoscientists, which Manahan said was not unexpected because of their requirements for extensive logistical support. In general, he said, the scientists surveyed believe the modernization will improve scientific opportunities, and the survey found “good will” and “overwhelmingly strong science community support” for it. Erb added that the transition of air logistical support from the Navy to the New York Air National Guard had gone smoothly and “was virtually transparent to the ultimate customers: the scientists conducting research.”

Other issues discussed were the unique research opportunities in Antarctica, the need for improved weather forecasting to reduce the number of logistics flights turned back, the imminent obsolescence of some communications satellites used by the program, and the impacts of increasing tourism on Antarctic research. Manahan stated that, in general, tour operators were “extremely respectful of the science.” Rep. Connie Morella (R- Maryland) summarized the hearing by noting that it was rare to hold such an oversight hearing where “things seem to be moving along exceedingly well.”