ASME International Capitol Update December 20, 2001 A weekly review of the latest legislative & regulatory news from Washington.
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--Former Head of Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology
--Subcommittee Will Revisit Issue in February Congress Approves Sweeping Education Bill President Bush received a second legislative victory on Thursday. After months of negotiations, the Senate passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with a vote of 87-10, following the House's affirmative vote the previous week. The legislation, which authorizes the Department of Education programs for the next six years, contained the Math and Science Partnership provision that ASME International's Board on Government Relations has been actively involved in. This provision received an authorization of $450 Million, and would allow state education agencies, high-need local school districts, and university math, science, engineering departments to partner together to science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education. More general information on the education bill can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/education/A62479-2001Dec18.html. The Labor/ HHS appropriation bill funds the Department of Education. As mentioned in last week's Update, there is still a high probability the Math and Science Partnership provision will be funded at a level much lower than the $450 Million authorized. The final vote on the appropriations bill is expected later this week. For more information, please contact Patti Burgio at burgiop@asme.org. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Announced The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Announced On December 12, the White House appointed the following list of people from academe and industry to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST): Charles J.
Arntzen, chairman, department of plant biology, Arizona State
University; On December 18, PCAST, which is co-chaired by Bush's science advisor Dr. John Marburger and Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist Floyd Kvamme, held its first organizational meeting. According to White House sources, President Bush asked PCAST to focus on four specific areas: (1) policies to accelerate development and usage of broadband technology; (2) scientific and technical assistance in the war on terrorism; (3) energy efficiency technology; and (4) priorities for federal research investments. For more information on PCAST, see: http://www.ostp.gov/PCAST/pcast.html Bement Confirmed as National Institutes of Standards and Technology Director On November 30, the Senate confirmed Arden Bement as NIST's 12th director. Bement comes to NIST from Purdue University, where he was he head of the School of Nuclear Engineering and the David A. Ross Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering. He is well versed in the inner-workings of NIST, having previously served as head of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, the agency's primary private-sector policy adviser; as head of the advisory committee for NIST's Advanced Technology Program; and on the Board of Overseers for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. For more information about Mr. Bement, please visit NIST's web page at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/update/upd011217.htm#Administration. Barton Calls Off Electricity Bill Mark-up On December 17, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called off a previously scheduled mark-up of H.R. 3406, the "Electric Supply and Transmission Act of 2001. H.R. 3406 is energy restructuring legislation that begins federal deregulation of electricity, and promotes the use of renewable and alternative sources of electric power. More information on this bill can be found at: http://thomas.loc.gov/. Barton had wanted the this legislation passed out of Committee by the end of this year. But now will revisit the issue in February 2002, a spokesperson for the Committee said. Barton said the ranking member of the subcommittee, Rep. Rick Boucher (D- Virginia), also agreed with the postponement of the mark-up. Numerous groups are opposing the bill, including state interest groups, federal officials, and some Democratic members of Congress. However, when the legislation comes up for a vote, Barton says he has enough votes to pass H.R. 3406. For more information, please contact Francis Dietz at dietzf@asme.org.
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