House Science and Technology Committee Organizes, Approves Oversight Plan

(Washington, DC) - Today the House Committee on Science and Technology held its Organizational meeting, in which Members approved Subcommittee Chairs, Ranking Members, Subcommittee Assignments, and Committee Rules. The Committee also approved its Oversight Plan, as required by House Rules.

"I would like to welcome back my friend Ralph Hall as the Ranking Member of the Committee. I feel very lucky to work closely with a colleague with such deep experience in the issues that are important to our Committee. I look forward to continuing to draw upon that experience as we move forward with an aggressive agenda for the 111th Congress," said Chair of the Committee Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN). "This Congress, the Committee plans to consider several issues we began to look at in the last Congress - transportation R&D, electronic waste, new energy technologies, natural disasters R&D, STEM education - as well as a number of new issues."

The Changes to the Committee Rules include:

General reorganization for a more coherent structure, and

Updates to be consistent with House Rules or House practices, i.e., requesting, insofar as it is practicable, that witnesses provide written statements to the Committee 48 hours before appearance, rather than the 24 hour window the Committee had previously.

The Committee will continue its aggressive oversight operations in the 111th Congress. The Oversight Plan focuses on themes including: restoring public confidence in the integrity of public science; helping to ensure programs are well managed; and evaluating programs and identifying emerging challenges.

"Also, there are a handful of noncontroversial bills that this Committee acted on last year and that passed the House in the 110th Congress but were not enacted into law. Once these are introduced in the 111th, we will suggest that they be discharged from the Committee and taken to the floor," said Gordon.

These include:

The National Nanotechnology Initiative The Produced Water Utilization Act (Mr. Hall's bill) The Water Conservation Research and Development Act (Mr. Matheson's bill) The Green Energy Education Act (Mr. McCaul's bill)

Per the Minority's request, we increased the number of Members on Energy and Environment, Research and Science Education, and Technology and Innovation Subcommittees.

Subcommittee assignments:

Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Rep. Brian Baird, Chair

Democratic Members:

• Rep. Jerry F. Costello
• Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey
• Rep. Donna F. Edwards
• Rep. Ben Ray Lujan
• Rep. Paul Tonko
• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
• Rep. Daniel Lipinski
• Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
• Rep. Jim Matheson
• Rep. Lincoln Davis
• Rep. Ben Chandler
• Rep. Bart Gordon (ex officio)

Republican Members:

• Rep. Bob Inglis, Ranking Member
• Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
• Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers
• Rep. Judy Biggert
• Rep. W. Todd Akin
• Rep. Randy Neugebauer
• Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
• Rep. Ralph M. Hall (ex officio)

Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Chair

Democratic Members:

• Rep. Marcia L. Fudge
• Rep. Parker Griffith
• Rep. David Wu
• Rep. Donna F. Edwards
• Rep. Steven Rothman
• Rep. Baron Hill
• Rep. Charles A. Wilson
• Rep. Alan Grayson
• Rep. Suzanne Kosmas
• Rep. Bart Gordon (ex officio)

Republican Members:

• Rep. Pete Olson, Ranking Member
• Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
• Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
• Rep. Frank D. Lucas
• Rep. Michael T. McCaul
• Rep. Ralph M. Hall (ex officio)

Subcommittee on Research and Science Education

Rep. Daniel Lipinski, Chair

Democratic Members:

• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
• Rep. Brian Baird
• Rep. Marcia L. Fudge
• Rep. Parker Griffith
• Rep. Paul Tonko
• Rep. Russ Carnahan
• Rep. Bart Gordon (ex officio)

Republican Members:

• Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, Ranking Member
• Rep. Randy Neugebauer
• Rep. Brian P. Bilbray
• Rep. Adrian Smith
• Rep. Ralph M. Hall (ex officio)

Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation

Rep. David Wu, Chair

Democratic Members:

• Rep. Donna F. Edwards
• Rep. Ben Ray Lujan
• Rep. Paul Tonko
• Rep. Daniel Lipinski
• Rep. Harry E. Mitchell
• Rep. Gary C. Peters
• Rep. Bart Gordon (ex officio)

Republican Members:

• Rep. Adrian Smith Ranking Member
• Rep. Judy Biggert
• Rep. W. Todd Akin
• Rep. Paul C. Broun
• Rep. Ralph M. Hall (ex officio)

Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight

Rep. Brad Miller, Chair

Democratic Members:

• Rep. Kathleen A. Dahlkemper
• Rep. Steven Rothman
• Rep. Lincoln Davis
• Rep. Charles A. Wilson
• Rep. Alan Grayson
• Rep. Bart Gordon (ex officio)

Republican Members:

• Rep. Paul Broun, Ranking Member
• Rep. Brian P. Bilbray
• Vacancy
• Rep. Ralph M. Hall (ex officio)

For more information, including the Committee's agenda, please see the Committee's website.

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