Copyright 2003 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.
Science and technology research, in general, enjoys bipartisan support within Congress, and so the outcome of the November election and the return to a Republican-controlled Senate will not likely result in major shifts in funding priorities. Significant changes, however, are more likely to materialize in policy issues that involve science matters but are fueled by politics.
A clear example is in the area of bioethics and the proposed comprehensive ban on both research and reproductive cloning championed by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS). Brownback was unsuccessful during Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's tenure in shepherding his bill to the floor for debate. But on the day after the election, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer noted this topic as a priority during his daily press briefing, and Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), the new majority leader, supports the bill, so its prospects appear to have tipped in Brownback's favor. Sen. Brownback still faces a big hurdle, however, in fending off an alternative measure supported by the scientific community that would permit cloning for research purposes to proceed.
On the chairman front, the switch in party control in the Senate does not present many ideological shifts for science matters.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) will resume the reigns of the Appropriations Committee and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) will become ranking member. Both chairman and ranking member are known for directing congressionally-designated projects to their states.
A key committee for civilian R&D is the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The maverick Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will return as chairman and Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-SC) as ranking member. Both senators have focused primarily on telecommunications and broadband policy in the past, and likely will continue to pursue that agenda.
Sen. George Allen (R-VA) will become chairman of the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee, with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) as ranking member. Before the shift in 2001 to a Democratic majority, Sen. Allen, a freshman, was briefly the chairman of this subcommittee but had failed to establish an agenda before the switch, so he is still relatively unknown. He did, however, work alongside Wyden on both the National Science Foundation doubling and cybersecurity R&D bills.
Another critical committee is the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which authorizes funding for the Department of Energy (DOE). This committee will be led by Sen. Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman and ranking member, respectively. Both are stalwart supporters of the DOE national laboratories, especially since two are located in New Mexico. Domenici will also take over as chairman of the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee. As both authorizer and appropriator for energy issues Domenici is in a unique position to influence policy in this area.
Another priority will be the comprehensive energy bill, which is expected to be resurrected next year after a conference committee this year failed to work out key differences with the House. While some science provisions may be kept intact, many of the most contentious issues, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, are up for grabs. Bingaman was a strong force behind this year's bill, and Domenici's priorities are likely to differ substantially.
On the regulatory front, environmentalists will anxiously await the policy agenda of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the incoming chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. That position would have gone to Sen. Bob Smith if he had been re-elected. Sen. Inhofe's previous voting record is not looked upon favorably by the environment and conservation community, who view him as leaning heavily in favor of industry. Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT), an ally of environmentalists, will become ranking member.
In the medical research arena, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) will assume the chairmanship, and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) the ranking member slot, of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. In addition, Sens. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Kennedy will continue on as chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Public Health Subcommittee. Sen. Frist is stepping down as the highly successful chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which should leave him with more time to devote to health policy issues.
On the other side of the Capitol, there were more changes in the House leadership than to committee structure. Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX) is now the Majority Leader, succeeding Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX), who retired. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was voted the new Minority Leader and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was elected Minority Whip, the position held previously by Pelosi.
In a potentially significant development for the scientific community, the House Republican leadership moved recently to exert more control over appropriations. From now on the chairmen of appropriations subcommittees will be appointed by the speaker and the majority leader rather than succeeding to their posts on the basis of seniority. Presumably chairmen who are beholden to the speaker and majority leader for their posts will be more willing to take direction from the leadership.
On the committee front, Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) made a surprise announcement shortly after the elections that he would retire this May, leaving the chairmanship of the Committee on Agriculture open. Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Nick Smith (R-MI) have submitted their names as candidates to take up the gavel at the onset of the 108th Congress.
Rep. James Hansen (R-UT) retired this session and so relinquishes his chairmanship of the Committee on Resources. Members expressing an interest in taking over include (listed by seniority) Reps. Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), and Richard Pombo (R-CA). According to one news article, there is talk of changing this committee's jurisdiction.
Finally, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) will need to retire as chairman of the House Science Committee's Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee due to term limits. His replacement has not been officially announced, but Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) has expressed interest. The committee has a few open slots to fill with the departure of Reps. James Barcia (R-MI), Lynn Rivers (D-MI), Connie Morella (R-MD), and Felix Grucci (R-NY) due to retirement or defeat. ••• [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Copyright 2003 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved. |