Summary
Mission:
To oversee all non-defense federal scientific research and development. More specifically, the committee has complete jurisdiction over the following federal agencies: NASA, NSF, NIST, and the OSTP. The Committee also has authority over R&D activities at the Department of Energy, the EPA, FAA, NOAA, the DOT, the NWS, the DHS and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Senate Counterpart: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittees:
- Energy
- Environment
- Investigations and Oversight
- Research and Technology
- Space and Aeronautics
Chair: Frank Lucas, Oklahoma (R)
Ranking Member: Zoe Lofgren, California (D)
Majority Staff Director: Janie Thompson
Minority Staff Director: Josh Mathis
Meeting Location: 2321 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-6371
Featured Video: Building Back the U.S. Research Enterprise: COVID Impacts and Recovery – Feb. 25, 2021
Web Links
OnAir Post: Science, Space, and Technology Committee
News
Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics , – September 21, 2021
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Rep. Don Beyer’s (D-VA), opening statement for the record is below.
Good morning, and welcome to our distinguished witnesses. We are very pleased to have you with us today as we discuss “NASA’s Future in Low Earth Orbit: Considerations for International Space Station Extension and Transition.”
The International Space Station—the ISS—has been an important component of America’s post-Apollo human spaceflight program for decades. Beginning in 1984 with President Reagan’s resurrecting the idea of developing a crewed orbiting space station that would include our allies and partners, followed by President Clinton’s decision to include the Russians in a redesigned station, it has continued through multiple Congresses and Administrations with development, assembly, and now full utilization. In many ways, the ISS epitomizes the long-term continuity of purpose that is essential to our human spaceflight program.
During its more than two decades of operation, the ISS has cemented our international partnerships, enabled knowledge of large structural assembly in space, supported extensive basic and applied research, maintained US expertise in human spaceflight operations, enabled the development of public private partnerships for cargo and crew transportation to the ISS, and opened space to multiple users, including commercial entities, academia, and other Federal government agencies. Perhaps, most importantly, it continues to inspire our youth as they are born into an era that has never been without an American living and working in low Earth orbit.
About
Members
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Bill Posey, Florida
Randy Weber, Texas
Brian Babin, Texas
Jim Baird, Indiana
Daniel Webster, Florida
Mike Garcia, California
Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma
Jay Obernolte, California
Chuck Fleischmann, Tennessee
Darrell Issa, California
Rick Crawford, Arkansas
Claudia Tenney, New York
Ryan Zinke, Montana
Scott Franklin, Florida
Dale Strong, Alabama
Max Miller, Ohio
Rich McCormick, Georgia
Mike Collins, Georgia
Brandon Williams, New York
Thomas Kean Jr., New Jersey
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Zoe Lofgren, California
Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
Haley Stevens, Michigan
Jamaal Bowman, New York
Deborah K. Ross, North Carolina
Eric Sorensen, Illinois
Andrea Salinas, Oregon
Valerie Foushee, North Carolina
Kevin Mullin, California
Jeff Jackson, North Carolina
Emilia Sykes, Ohio
Maxwell Frost, Florida
Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
Summer Lee, Pennsylvania
Jennifer McClellan, Virginia
Ted Lieu, California
Sean Casten, Illinois
Paul Tonko, New York
History
In the wake of the Soviet Sputnik program in the late 1950s, Congress created the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration on 05 March 1958, chaired by majority leader John William McCormack. This select committee drafted the National Aeronautics and Space Act that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A staff report of the committee, the Space Handbook: Astronautics and its Applications, provided non-technical information about spaceflight to U.S. policy makers.[2]
The committee also chartered the permanent House Committee on Science and Astronautics, which officially began on January 3, 1959, and was the first new standing committee established in the House since 1946. The name was changed in 1974 to the House Committee on Science and Technology. The name was changed again in 1987 to the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. After the Republican Party gained a majority in Congress in 1994, the name of the committee was changed to the House Committee on Science. With the return of control to the Democrats in 2007, the committee’s name was changed back to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
During the 112th Congress, which was in session from 2011-2013, Committee Chairman Ralph Hall added “Space” back into the committee’s name: “The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology” – a nod to the committee’s history, broad jurisdiction, and the importance of space exploration in maintaining American innovation and competitiveness.
Source: Wikipedia
Contact
Locations
Science, Space, and Technology Committee
2321 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6375
Fax: (202) 225-3895
Web Links
- Government Site
- Minority Website
- Congress.Gov
- House Telephone Directory
- OnAir Post: Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Chair, Frank Lucas
- Ranking Member, Zoe Lofgren
- Wikipedia
- YouTube
Legislation
Bills
Source: Committee website
Markups
Source: Committee website
Hearings
Source: Committee website
Subcommittees
Energy
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
Legislative jurisdiction and general oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to energy research, development, and demonstration and projects therefor, commercial application of energy technology, and environmental research including:
- Department of Energy research, development, and demonstration programs;
- Department of Energy laboratories;
- Department of Energy science activities;
- energy supply activities;
- nuclear, solar and renewable energy, and other advanced energy technologies;
- uranium supply and enrichment, and Department of Energy waste management and environment, safety, and health activities as appropriate;
- fossil energy research and development;
- clean coal technology;
- energy conservation research and development;
- energy aspects of climate change;
- pipeline research, development, and demonstration projects;
- energy and environmental standards;
- energy conservation including building performance, alternate fuels for and improved efficiency of vehicles, distributed power systems, and industrial process improvements;
- Environmental Protection Agency research and development programs;
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including all activities related to weather, weather services, climate, and the atmosphere, and marine fisheries, and oceanic research;
- risk assessment activities; and
- scientific issues related to environmental policy, including climate change.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Brandon Williams (NY)
Randy Weber (TX)
Jim Baird (IN)
Stephanie Bice (OK)
Chuck Fleischmann (TN)
Claudia Tenney (NY)
Max Miller (OH)
Tom Kean (NJ)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Jamaal Bowman (NY)
Summer Lee (PA)
Deborah Ross (NC)
Eric Sorensen (IL)
Andrea Salinas (OR)
Val Foushee (NC)
Environment
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The Subcommittee on Environment shall have jurisdiction over the following subject matters:
All matters relating to environmental research; Environmental Protection Agency research and development; environmental standards; climate change research and development; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including all activities related to weather, weather services, climate, the atmosphere, marine fisheries, and oceanic research; risk assessment activities; scientific issues related to environmental policy, including climate change;; other appropriate matters as referred by the Chair; and relevant oversight.[1]
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Max Miller (OH)
Bill Posey (FL)
Rick Crawford (AR)
Ryan Zinke (MT)
Mike Collins (GA)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Deborah Ross (NC)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR)
Maxwell Frost (FL)
Investigations and Oversight
Source: Committee Website
This subcommittee is responsible for general and special investigative and oversight authority on all matters within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science and Technology, including those matters covered by the other subcommittees.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Jay Obernolte (CA)
Brian Babin (TX)
Max Miller (OH)
Rich McCormick (GA)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Valerie Foushee (NC)
Kevin Mullin (CA)
Jeff Jackson (NC)
Research and Technology
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee has 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 and overhead;
- university research partnerships, including those with industry;
- science scholarships;
- issues relating to computers, communications, and information technology;
- earthquake and fire research programs including those related to wildfire proliferation research and prevention;
- research and development relating to health, biomedical, and nutritional programs;
- to the extent appropriate, agricultural, geological, biological and life sciences research; and
- materials research, development, and demonstration and policy.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Mike Collins (R-GA)
Jim Baird (R-IN)
Darrell Issa (R-CA)
Rick Crawford (R-AR)
Scott Franklin (R-FL)
Brandon Williams (R-NY)
Tom Kean (R-NJ)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Haley Stevens (D-MI)
Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
Kevin Mullin (D-CA)
Emilia Sykes (D-OH)
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
Space and Aeronautics
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee has legislative jurisdiction and general and special oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to astronautical and aeronautical research and development including:[1]
- national space policy, including access to space;
- sub-orbital access and applications;
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its contractor and government-operated laboratories;
- space commercialization, including the commercial space activities relating to the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce;
- exploration and use of outer space;
- international space cooperation;
- National Space Council;
- space applications, space communications and related matters;
- Earth remote sensing policy;
- civil aviation research, development, and demonstration;
- research, development, and demonstration programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; and
- space law.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Brian Babin (R-TX)
Bill Posey (R-FL)
Daniel Webster (R-FL)
Mike Garcia (R-CA)
Darrell Issa (R-CA)
Dale Strong (R-AL)
Rich McCormick (R-GA)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Eric Sorensen (D-IL)
Jeff Jackson (D-NC)
Yadira Caraveo (D-CO)
Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
More Information
Government Agencies
National Science Foundation (NSF)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Staff Reports
Source: Committee website
Campaign Finance
Source: Open Secrets webpages
