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FLOOR ACTION
Senate Passes S.5, the Stem Cell Research
Enhancement Act
On April 11, 2007, the Senate passed S. 5, the
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, by a
vote of 63-34. The bill would expand the number
of embryonic stem cell lines available for
federal funding by requiring the Secretary of
HHS to conduct and support research using human
embryonic stem cells regardless of the date on
which such cells were derived. FASEB’s Office of
Public Affairs issued a
press release following passage in the
Senate. The House passed an equivalent bill,
H.R. 3, on January 11, 2007. The President has
indicated that he plans to veto the legislation,
and neither the Senate nor House-passed bills
included enough votes to override a veto.
House Passes Bill to Ban Genetic
Discrimination (H.R. 493)
On April 25, 2007, the House of Representatives
passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination
Act (H.R. 493) that makes it illegal for a
health plan or insurer to deny coverage or
charge higher premiums to a healthy person based
solely on a genetic predisposition to a disease.
Similarly, an employer could not use genetic
information in making hiring, firing or
promotion decisions. The Senate is expected to
take up the legislation and the President has
indicated his intention to sign the bill into
law. One of FASEB’s member societies, the
American Society of Human Genetics,
applauded the House passage of the bill.
Senate Passes the America Competes Act (S.
671)
On April 25, 2007, the Senate passed the America
COMPETES Act (S.761) by a vote of 88-8. S. 761
is the Senate’s bipartisan legislative response
to President Bush’s America Competitiveness
Initiative (ACI). Components of the America
COMPETES Act would reauthorize and establish new
programs at NSF, the National Institutes of
Standards and Technology, NASA, NOAA, the
Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the
Department of Education. The House will be
considering similar stand-alone reauthorizations
for NSF (H.R. 1867) and NIST (H.R. 1868).
House Passes Science and Math Scholarship
Act (H.R. 362) and Sowing the Seeds through
Science and Engineering Research Act (H.R. 363)
The House of Representatives passed ‘10,000
Teachers, 10 Million Minds’ Science and Math
Scholarship Act and the Sowing the Seeds through
Science and Engineering Research Act on April
24, 2007. H.R. 362 would establish programs at
universities to recruit strong students majoring
in science, mathematics, and engineering into
careers in teaching; and provide these students
with specialized education courses incorporating
best practices for teaching science and math.
H.R. 363 would establish a new grant through the
NSF and DOE to support outstanding early-career
researchers in academia and in nonprofit
research organizations..
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BILLS INTRODUCED
FASEB Supports Scientific Communications
Act of 2007 (H.R. 1453)
The goal of the Scientific Communication Act of
2007 (H.R. 1453) is to provide training to
graduate students in science on how to
communicate with non-scientists, specifically
policymakers. The bill, which was introduced by
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) on March 14th,
would create a new, competitive grants program
at NSF to fund institutional programs in
communication skills development for scientists.
H.R. 1453 provides very little detail on what
such programs should entail, leaving that to the
applicant institutions, but does require
integration with existing NSF training programs,
such as the Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Traineeship (IGERT) program. Because it
is authorizing legislation, the bill designates
new money at a level of $10 million per year for
the program-- as opposed to earmarking funds
during the appropriations process.
According to a statement released by Matsui’s
office, her aim is to improve the capacity of
scientists to convey technical information to
members of Congress and the public. “Science and
technology play an increasingly large role in
policy debates, as demonstrated by recent
national discussions on such topics as stem cell
research, alternative energy sources, and
nanotechnology. Scientists are a critical voice
in these debates,” stated Matsui.
“Communications training provided through this
legislation will better equip our scientists to
articulate their expertise to help inform the
American people and the decision making
process.”
FASEB has
expressed strong support of the
legislation at the recommendation of our
Training and Career Development Subcommittee,
Science Policy Committee, and following
endorsement by the Board of Directors. In a
letter sent to Congresswoman Matsui, FASEB
President Leo Furcht wrote, “Establishing a
competitive, merit-based program at NSF to
improve the communications ability of scientists
is truly synergistic with the agency’s
investment in the talent, ideas, and tools that
cross all boundaries of scientific inquiry.” He
added, “By providing scientists with the
training necessary to communicate with diverse
audiences, this legislation will help to ensure
accuracy of and appreciation for science in
discussion and formation of public policy.”
The Scientific Communications Act is
co-sponsored by the Chair of the House Committee
on Science and Technology, Representative Bart
Gordon (D-TN), and has been referred to the
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education.
The Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigation
recently held a hearing on science
communication, but it was primarily focused on
the miscommunication of scientific information,
particularly in relation to the science of
climate change and global warming.
Representative Matsui is actively seeking
co-sponsors for the bill. However, it is most
likely to be folded into the upcoming
reauthorization of the NSF or one of the
multiple
competitiveness bills that have been introduced.
It also remains to be seen whether appropriators
will be willing to channel addition funds to NSF
for such a program.
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UPCOMING HEARINGS
May 7
Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee to Hold Theme Hearing on the
Frontiers of Science
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
HHS, and Education (Senator Tom Harkin [D-IA],
Chairman) will hold its third NIH theme hearing
on the Frontiers of Science. Drs. Francis
Collins, Director, NHGRI; Jeremy Berg, Director,
NIGMS; Roderic Pettigrew, Director, NIBIB;
Donald Lindberg, Director, NLM; and Roger Glass,
Director, FIC, will testify.
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CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
The House and Senate are in session.
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WASHINGTON UPDATE |
