Rep. Gordon Approved as Chairman of House Science Committee

December 7, 2006 -- Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) was unanimously approved today as chairman of the House Science Committee by the Democratic Caucus.  He will assume the chairmanship at the start of the 110th Congress in January 2007. 

Among the first orders of business for the House Science Committee, incoming Chairman Gordon anticipates continuing efforts to assure that U.S. workers, teachers and students are equipped with the tools they need to compete in the changing global marketplace, as well as advancing measures to speed U.S. energy independence and exercise better stewardship of energy resources. 

As ranking minority member of the House Science Committee, Rep. Gordon worked in a bipartisan manner with Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), the outgoing chairman who is retiring from Congress.  As chairman of the committee, Gordon plans to continue working in a bipartisan manner to advance science, technology, and science education. 

“Democrats, working in partnership with our Republican counterparts, have an opportunity to positively affect issues from education and research to energy and security.  This is an opportunity we must not neglect,” said Rep. Gordon. “We will be reaching out to individuals and groups on the Hill and off to participate at every opportunity, share their ideas and work with our committee to assure America’s competitiveness in the world,” Gordon continued. 

Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) was elected today as ranking minority member of the House Science Committee for the 110th Congress by the Republican Steering Committee.  Hall said, “I look forward to advancing a vision for science that promotes space exploration, fosters medical and energy technological breakthroughs, and ensures America’s competitive edge.”  Stressing his desire to continue the bipartisan nature of the House Science Committee, Rep. Hall said, “Chairman Bart Gordon and I have a good working relationship, and I look forward to working across the aisle on those initiatives that are important to all Americans.”

Rep. Gordon introduced the first legislation in the House during the 109th Congress to implement key recommendations for scientific research and education from the National Academy of Sciences report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. 

Rep. Gordon is a leading advocate for the creation of ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, modeled on the successful DARPA program at the Department of Defense. He has also authored legislation to ensure that federal buildings are meeting energy efficiency goals and a bill to make it easier for consumers to obtain alternative fuels like E85 ethanol and biodisel.  In his home state of Tennessee, Rep. Gordon played a key role in advancing the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

A strong proponent of science education, Rep. Gordon is particularly concerned about the problem of out-of-field teachers, which he views as a major contributor to poor student performance in science and math.  Rep. Gordon has supported establishing federal programs to both improve the education of science and math teachers and to attract more math and science majors to the teaching profession. 

The House Science Committee has jurisdiction over all federal non-military scientific and technology research and development programs on which the federal government spends more than $30 billion per year.  The committee also is charged with ensuring that federal investments in science and technology are focused in the right areas and are succeeding in boosting the nation’s economy. 

Craig Schiffries, Ph.D.
Director of Science Policy
National Council for Science and the Environment
1707 H Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: 202-530-5810
E-mail: policy@NCSEonline.org