investments in R&D by setting federal
agencies such as the NSF, the Department of Energy and NIST on track to
double their budgets over the next 10
years. Congress followed up with strong
investments in each agency.
With the election of President Obama
came continued investment efforts on
behalf of R&D. President Obama proposed massive investments in R&D in
each of his budget requests and infused
NSF with an additional $2.5 billion
as part of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, also known as the
stimulus bill.
“We have a great story to tell,” said
Alex Fong, past chair of OSA’s Public
Policy Committee. “Republicans and
Democrats alike have recognized that
R&D funding is inexorably linked to
economic growth, innovation and job
creation. I believe we can make a strong
case that now would be the worst pos-
sible time to slash R&D investments.”
While the near-term fate of NSF’s
and other agency’s budgets are still
months away, President Obama has
cited energy and education legislation
as two key areas where he believes
bipartisan progress is possible. The No
Child Left Behind Act, the nation’s
main education law for K- 12 education
programs, must be considered in this
Congress. The law authorizes federally
funded education programs that are
administered by the states.
“Looking ahead, I believe we continue
to have opportunities to expand federal
investments in clean and renewable
resources and to strengthen math and
science education,” said Fong.
With the 2012 U.S. presidential
and congressional elections looming,
the window for progress before intense
political jockeying may be short. OSA
is planning a series of events in 2011
to advocate for investments in R&D
including Capitol Hill Day, a congressional briefing on optics, Optics
Legislative Network Alerts and district
meetings with key lawmakers. t
Key Science Players on Capitol Hill
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas)
Chair, House Science and Technology Committee
Hall has been a member of the committee since being elected to
Congress in 1980. In a statement released shortly after the elec-
tion, Rep. Hall stated that “over the past few years, the unprec-
edented growth of the Federal government and the creation of
multiple new and duplicative programs occurred without having
first assessed the effectiveness and success of existing programs. My goal is to
ensure science policy drives innovation and thereby the American economy. Federal
investment in R&D must empower the free market, not interfere in it.”
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)
Ranking Member, House Science and Technology Committee
Johnson is a long-term member of the committee and has
focused her efforts on NASA. While running for the post, the
Congresswoman stated that she “would continue to emphasize
the need to invest in basic scientific research and development to
support our nation’s energy independence and security, to create new technologies, industries and jobs that will catalyze our nation’s embattled
middle class and fulfill a mission for the U.S. to lead the world in clean technology.”
Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.)
With the recent retirement of Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and
the defeat of Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Rush Holt is now the only
Ph.D. physicist in the House of Representatives. Since his elec-
tion to office in 1996, Holt has continued to push his colleagues
for increased funding for R&D programs, and he has focused on
enhancing science, technology, engineering and math education
programs. He was the 2009 OSA Advocate of Optics.
Sen. John J. Rockefeller (D-W.V.)
Chair, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
The Chairman has a broad array of issues under his jurisdiction.
He has set the agenda for the committee, which includes protecting consumers, improving the economy, heightening the nation’s
security, building technology infrastructure and promoting transformative research. In 2010, his committee took the lead in passing the Reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act and NASA Reauthorization.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas)
Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation
Senator Hutchison is a strong advocate for NASA, given the loca-
tion of Johnson Space Center in her home state. The Senator
worked closely with Chairman Rockefeller on the passage of the
Reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act and NASA Reau-
thorization. While Congress was moving away from manned space flight, she fought
to save key portions of the Constellation program, including the Orion crew capsule.
Laura Kolton ( lkolto@osa.org) is OSA’s director
of government relations.
