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THIS WEEK...
ASME EXAMINES
AERONAUTICS R&T PROGRAMS IN NASA'S FY2003 BUDGET REQUEST
The Aviation Research and Technology Task Force of ASME's
Aerospace Division of the Council on Engineering recently entered its
position statement on NASA's FY2003 Budget request into the hearing record
for the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD) and Independent Agencies of the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
The position statement addresses the
Aeronautics R&T programs within NASA's Aerospace Technology
Enterprise. In recent years, the Task Force has written at length about
its concerns that reducing federal funding for aviation research and technology would jeopardize the
nation's leadership in providing the technologies needed to develop the
next generation aircraft, improving aviation safety and security, and attracting the next generation of
scientists and
engineers.
Over the past decade, funding for NASA's aeronautics
research and technology program
has fallen by approximately 50 percent, and this trend is continuing. The
Administration's FY2003 request of $541.4M for aeronautics is a reduction
of $58M from FY2002 appropriated funding. The position statement
acknowledges NASA's recently released "Aeronautics Blueprint" and encourages sustained partnerships among the key agencies to
develop a national aviation research and technology policy to turn the
Aeronautics Blueprint into reality. The statement also supports
recommendations in a report recently released by the "Commission on the
Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry" calling for the creation of a
"multi-agency task force with the leadership to develop and implement an integrated plan to
transform our air transportation system." The Commission's report also
recommends significant increases in NASA R&D.
The position
statement is available to review on ASME's Government Relations website at
http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2002/02-11.htmlAdditional
information about ASME's Aerospace Division is available online at http://www.asme.org/divisions/aerospace/.
For more information about this issue, contact Kathryn Holmes at holmesk@asme.org.
ASME RELEASES
STATEMENT ON EPA'S FY2003 BUDGET REQUEST FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The EPA Task
Force of ASME's Environmental Engineering Division of the Council on
Engineering recently submitted its statement on EPA's FY2003 Budget
request into the hearing record for the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs,
Housing and Urban Development
(VA-HUD) and Independent Agencies
of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
In its position statement,
the Task Force noted that, because of the complex nature of environmental
issues, it is essential that EPA base its policies and recommendations on sound science. A strong research and development program is critical for
the on-going development of scientific based decision-making.
The
Task Force supports: strong input and involvement of the Science Advisory Board in helping set
EPA research priorities; focusing on national environmental priorities
that impact human health, ecosystem health, and climate, specifically particulate
matter, greenhouse gases, and
water quality; education of future environmental professionals and building interdisciplinary teams
through the support of extramurally-funded research; and building a strong science and technology base, both within EPA
and through partnerships with industry and other federal and state government agencies.
The Task Force also expressed concern that the transfer of EPA's
environmental education program to the National Science Foundation for FY2003 could
have an adverse impact on environmental education. The Task Force was
particularly concerned about the elimination of the STAR Fellowship
Program, which in the past has provided a funding source for graduate
students interested in solving environmental problems, allowing them to
undertake research in areas directly relevant to EPA's mission and objectives. The Task Force believes
the EPA would be a better steward of the environmental education
initiatives.
The Task Force also recommended that the overall
decline in funding for physical sciences and engineering within the Federal
budget over the past decade be reversed in order to ensure that complex
problems associated with issues such as environmental contamination and public health can be addressed.
The position statement is available to review on ASME's Government
Relations website at http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2002/02-10.htmlAdditional
information about ASME's Environmental Engineering Division is available
online at http://www.asme.org/divisions/eed/
For more information about this issue, contact Kathryn Holmes atmailto:holmesk@asme.org.
NANOTECHOLOGY
RECEPTION HELD ON CAPITOL HILL
On March 19,
ASME, in conjunction with AAES, AIChE, and IEEE, hosted a reception at the
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. The reception was the final event of the NSF
Conference entitled "Small Wonders: Exploring the Vast Potential of
Nanoscience."
Exhibitors at the event included the AAES
Engineering Workforce Commission, AIChE, ASME's own Nanotechnology
Institute, IEEE, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO),
and the Initiative for
Nanotechnology in Virginia (INanoVA).
Dr. Rita Colwell, Director,
National Science Foundation;
and Dr. Joseph Bordogna,
Assistant Director, National Science Foundation; were in attendance,
as well as Dr. Esin Gulari, Acting Assistant Director, NSF Engineering
Directorate; Dr. M.C. "Mike" Roco, Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology, NSF
Engineering Directorate; and,
U.S. Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX).
For more information
about the "Small Wonders Conference," go to http://www.nano.gov/agenda.htm
For more general information, contact Raj Manchanda, Director of ASME's
Nanotechnology Institute, at manchandar@asme.org.
WORKING LUNCHEON HELD ON FUTURE OF MATH AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS On March 21, ASME
hosted a working luncheon entitled "Future of the Math & Science Partnerships: A House Perspective" for
the members of the Math and Science Partnerships Coalition, which is
comprised of representatives from varied science and engineering professional societies.
The Math and Science Partnerships refer to a program in H.R.
1, the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," dedicating funds specifically
to math and science education initiatives. While
H.R. 1 authorized $450 Million for the Math and Science Partnerships, Congress only
appropriated $12.5 million for the program in FY2002.
Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood
Boehlert (R-NY) as well as senior staff, attended the luncheon, and presented varied perspectives on
the Math and Science Partnership program funding for FY2003,
for which the Bush administration has again only requested $12.5 Million.
All three U.S. Representatives have been consistent advocates of science, math, engineering, and technology education.
For
more information, contact Patti Burgio at burgiop@asme.org.
HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE RELEASES FY2003 VIEWS
AND ESTIMATES
The House
Science Committee recently
released its recommendations, or "Views and Estimates," on the FY2003 budget.
Prior to drafting the recently approved House Budget Resolution, the views
had been discussed with members of the House Budget Committee. Science Committee Chairman Sherwood
Boehlert (R-NY) worked closely with Budget Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) to
ensure that the resolution included an 11.1 percent increase over FY2002
levels in the Research and
Related Activities account for the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The
Committee's Views and Estimates
include:
- an endorsement of
the Administration's "multi-agency R&D priorities" - work on
anti-terrorism, networking and
information technology, nanotechnology, and climate change;
- concerns about the
balance of the federal R&D portfolio - that the biomedical sciences - in particular the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) -- are growing out of proportion to any other
element of the R&D budget; § a recommendation that the NSF budget be
increased (exclusive of any transfers) by $420 million, or 8.8 percent,
over FY2002 levels;
- a strong suggestion
to restore funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which helps
smaller manufacturers modernize to remain competitive - the President's
proposed budget would end federal support for almost all MEP centers;
- concerns that the
President's proposed budget would cut Department of Energy (DOE)
programs under the Committee's jurisdiction by 2.4 percent - the
Committee recommends instead that the budget use funding levels
authorized under H.R. 4, the Secure America's Future Energy Act.
- support for the
President's FY2003 funding request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at
$15 billion.
The Views and Estimates, including additional
views submitted by other members of the Committee, can be found on the
Science Committee website at http://www.house.gov/science.
MEMBERS IN
MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO CONCERNED
ABOUT TORT REFORM
In
Mississippi, State Senator Kirby recently introduced tort reform
legislation, S.B. 2342. Provisions affecting ASME members include
eliminating joint and several
liability, making defendants responsible only for their percentage of
fault, placing limits of non-economic damage awards, placing caps on
punitive damage awards, and
revising sections of the Mississippi Code governing product liability of
manufacturers and product
sellers.
The bill's strongest tort reform provisions were stripped
in Committee. After this occurred, the Mississippi ASME State Government
Relations Chair worked with the ASME Washington Center, regional
leadership, and local ASME
sections to draft a letter to the leadership of the Mississippi
legislature asking them to consider the original bill. This letter can be
found at ASME's Washington Center's web site http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2002/02-07.html.
In October 2001, the Ohio State Government Coordinator sent a
letter to the House Civil Justice and Commercial Law Committee regarding
a tort reform bill, Senate Bill 120, which would limit joint and several liability. The legislation
was endorsed by the Ohio Council, the Region V leadership, and local ASME sections. Early in 2002,
the legislation was re-introduced, and a new letter was sent. Copies of
the most recent letter can be found at: http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2002/02-08.html
*****************************
Melissa R. Murray Government
Relations ASME International 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 906 Washington, DC
20036 Phone: 202.785.7380 Fax: 202.429.9417 Email: mailto:murraym@asme.org
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