Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee markup on H.R. 2225, the “National Science Foundation for the Future Act” and H.R. 3593, the “Department of Energy Science for the Future Act.” The full Committee voted to favorably advance both bipartisan bills.
Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) made the following statement.
“The Science, Space, and Technology Committee has been working diligently for over a year with the scientific community and various stakeholders on this bipartisan legislation to advance the United States scientific enterprise and global leadership. These bills are the first step in a large push from this committee to ensure the United States can tackle our most pressing concerns we face as a nation, like climate change, public health, and a strong economy. Finding the solutions to these challenges will ensure the United States remains a global competitor in science and technology. These are bold proposals with big ideas and the Committee has been thoughtful and transparent through the entire process to deliver this transformative legislation.
“The bills passed out of committee today truly are the legislation of the future. The NSF for the Future Act is the first comprehensive reauthorization of NSF in more than 10 years and will put the NSF on an ambitious but sustainable growth path over the next 5 years. The DOE Science for the Future Act is the first comprehensive authorization of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, a crucial agency that supports over half of DOE’s non-defense R&D budget, and this legislation will ensure that the Office of Science remains a world leader in energy science and innovation for years to come. Both pieces of legislation are a solid foundation for building a future of innovation and U.S. leadership.
“I feel strongly that today’s successful markup, and the legislation we are favorably reporting to the full House, represents the best of this Committee. It represents a future in good, high-paying jobs, a strong and diverse STEM pipeline, and innovative ideas we have yet to uncover. This is a vision for the future that unites Members on both sides of the aisle. I want to thank Ranking Member Lucas for his efforts and collaboration in getting us to where we are today. I look forward to the full House taking action on these bills and getting them to the Senate soon.”