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 October-December 2019 Quarterly Recap
The Act4Chemistry Legislative Action Network is the American Chemical Society's program that supports its members, local sections, and other groups interested in engaging with Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. Here is an update on recent activities and opportunities for ACS members to get involved. _______________________________________________________________________
Take Action Ask Congress to Support Solar, Wind, and Fossil Energy R&D Acts of 2019. These three pieces of legislation (H.R. 3597, the Solar Energy Research & Development Act of 2019; H.R. 3607, the Fossil Energy Research & Development Act of 2019; and H.R. 3609, the Wind Energy Research & Development Act of 2019) would support further research and development on new energy technologies, leading to improvements in solar and wind technologies and advances in emissions reduction for fossil fuels. ACS strongly endorsed Representative Dan Lipinski's (D-IL-03) amendment to H.R. 3597, calling for the incorporation of sustainable chemistry principles as research & development of solar energy technology continues. The ACS also strongly endorsed Representative Bill Foster's (D-IL-11) amendment to H.R. 3607 that would prioritize research to improve isolation & separation of helium from fossil fuels. ACS also supports two Senate counterparts: S. 2668, the Solar Energy Research & Development Act of 2019 and S. 2660, the Wind Energy Research & Development Act of 2019. Take action.
Ask Congress to Support the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019. This legislation encourages sustainable thinking from start to finish in the chemistry enterprise and has been reintroduced in the House and Senate. This legislation creates an interagency panel to coordinate federal sustainable chemistry efforts, supports public-private partnerships, and boosts investment in federal research. The House recently passed this bill - help us continue to build momentum by thanking your representatives and urging your Senators to vote for S. 999. Take action.
Congressional Recap ACS Endorses Rural STEM Education. ACS endorsed H.R. 4979, the Rural STEM Education Act, a bipartisan bill which directs the National Science Foundation to increase support for students and teachers across all underserved populations and will help close the gap of access and equity in STEM education. The bill was voted favorably out of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in mid-November.
Hidden Figures Gold Medal Act Becomes Law. The President signed H.R. 1396, Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act. The legislation honors Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, as well as all the women who contributed to NASA's success in the Space Race. With your numerous letters urging for support, this bill finally became law and will honor the work of these four women sometime next year with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Passes. Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) were completed with the passage and signing of H.R. 1865 and H.R. 1158. The final funding levels were close to earlier legislation passed over the summer. See "FY2020 Budget and Appropriations for Chemistry" for a detailed discussion.
ACS Endorses Scientific Integrity Act. ACS endorsed H.R. 1709, the Scientific Integrity Act. The legislation establishes federal guidelines on how the government uses scientific input in policy making, as well as creates protections for federal scientists. The legislation passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee with bipartisan support during the summer. ACS is urging lawmakers to work to strengthen media protections for federal scientists as the legislation moves forward.
Sustainable Chemistry Bill Passes House. The House passed H.R. 2051, the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act. This legislation creates an interagency taskforce to coordinate federal research on green and sustainable chemistry. The Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Science Committee passed S.999, the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, the accompanying version to the House.
Critical Materials Arrive in Congress. The House Committee on Space, Science, and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing, "Research and Innovation to Address the Critical Material Challenge." ACS members Dr. Sophia Hayes Dr. and Carol Handwerker testified at the invitation of the Subcommittee. Professor Hayes highlighted the importance of liquid helium to chemistry research.
Higher Education Act. The House Education and Labor Committee advanced H.R. 4674, the College Affordability Act, a partisan bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. ACS has not endorsed this bill at this stage and is working to ensure a bipartisan approach to this critical bill is taken in the Senate. ACS is advocating for investments in high quality STEM teacher training, support for a diverse STEM student and teacher pipeline, and investments in undergraduate and graduate research opportunities in the final iteration of the HEA Act.
ACS Endorses Solar and Wind Energy R&D. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources favorably reported S. 2660, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act and S. 2668, the Solar Energy Research and Development Act out of committee. The bills will now await a vote on the floor of the Senate. ACS endorsed these bills in November.
Federal Agency Update Joint Committee on the Research Environment. The Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier has requested input from the scientific community on ways to address issues of research integrity, security, and transparency while balancing researchers' administrative burden and workload. Recent reports from NSF and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs highlight concerns about foreign influence in the U.S. research sector. To address these issues, OSTP has created the National Science and Technology Council Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) and requested stakeholder input. ACS members with suggestions on how to keep international research collaboration both open and secure can respond to the Request for Information before January 28, 2020.
New Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Nominee. The Energy and Public Works Committee held a Confirmation Hearing for Chair of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Dr. Katherine Lemos. ACS sent a letter thanking the committee for its work filling the board.
EPA Rolls Back Methane Emissions Standards. ACS officially expressed concern over the EPA's proposed rollback of methane emissions standards. ACS's comments highlighted harmful impacts such deregulation would have on the environment and public health. You can read them here.
ACS Advocates in Action ChemLuminary Awards: Nominate Your Local Section. Did your local section engage with policymakers in 2019? Self-nominate for the ACS President's Award for Local Section Government Affairs! The award, sponsored by the ACS Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs (CCPA), recognizes a local section for outstanding efforts to increase member involvement in government affairs and advance public policy to benefit science and society. Tell your local section officers to self-nominate for the CCPA ChemLuminary award in your local section's 2019 annual ACS report before February 15, 2020. The winning local section will be recognized at the ChemLuminary Awards during the Fall ACS National Meeting in San Francisco.
Chemistry Students Talk with Congress. Four instructors and 12 chemistry students from Harvard University visited Washington, DC. The students met with a total of 29 members of Congress (or their staff) to discuss issues important to chemistry. Through the mentorship and leadership provided by their professor, ACS member Heidi Vollmer-Snarr (Senior Preceptor of Chemistry and Chemistry Biology), the students were able to learn the value of science advocacy and put it into practice.
Students Attend Madrid Climate Change Talks. Ten undergraduate students sponsored by ACS traveled to Madrid, Spain to attend the United Nations climate talks called the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Supported by ACS members Greg Foy and Keith Peterman (both chemistry faculty members at York College of Pennsylvania), the students observed and recorded their experiences watching scientists, policymakers, and national leaders discuss how the science of climate change may be incorporated into international policy. To learn more, watch their YouTube channel here.
What's Going on in D.C.? Elemental Slam on Capitol Hill. ACS, Battelle, and the University of California hosted an Elemental Slam on Capitol Hill. The fun and interactive event brought early career scientists from six Department of Energy National Labs to Washington, D.C. to highlight their favorite element in a poetry slam style competition. Each participant gave a 5-minute "lightning talk" about their element in celebration of the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT). The winning element was Titanium as presented by Dr. Teresa Palazzo from Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, WA. You can view a recording of the event here.
IYPT Colloquium. ACS, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, highlighted chemistry breakthroughs enabled by our understanding of the periodic table during a full-day colloquium and reception at the National Academies in Washington, D.C. The esteemed panel consisted of David Lewis, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire; Jacklyn Gates, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Jeannette Garcia, IBM; Eugene Chen, Colorado State University; Amy Prieto, Colorado State University; Malika Jeffries-El, Boston University; Martin Burke, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Gary Molander, University of Pennsylvania; Ryan Babbush, Google; and Eric Kaler, University of Minnesota.
Apply to be a Congressional Fellow. ACS is accepting applications for two 2020-2021 Congressional Fellows until January 15, 2020. More information about the fellowships and how to apply can be found here.
Apply to Science Policy Workshop for Graduates Students. ACS is sponsoring four graduate students to participate in the 2020 Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop(from March 29 - April 1, 2020), hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Applications are due by 11:59p.m. EST on Friday, January 17, 2020. For eligibility and application process, click here.
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