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Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN)

Chairman
110th Congress

U.S. House
Committee on
Science and Technology

Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee

Bart Gordon, dean of the Tennessee Congressional delegation, assumed the Chairmanship of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology at the start of the 110th Congress in January 2007. Bart's commitment to responsible, bipartisan efforts to advance science, technology and education has been the hallmark of his service on the Committee and will continue during his Chairmanship.

Bart is known for his work on issues related to NASA, including leading the call for an independent investigation of the Columbia disaster, pushing the agency on its financial management and cost estimating practices, pressing NASA to address its workforce and infrastructure needs in a credible fashion and working to ensure that NASA maintains a robust and balanced set of programs in science, aeronautics and human space flight.

Bart has led efforts to foster U.S. economic competitiveness. He introduced the first legislation in the House during the 109th Congress - and again in the 110th Congress - to implement key recommendations for scientific research and education from the National Academy of Sciences report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. That legislation, known as the COMPETES Act, was signed into law by the President signed into law on August 9, 2007. Bart has been particularly concerned about the problem of out-of-field teachers - a major contributor to poor student performance in science and math. As a result, he has backed 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.

He has been at the forefront of encouraging energy efficiency and conservation - especially by the Federal Government - and boosting our country's energy independence. He is the leading advocate for the creation of ARPA-E, an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, modeled on the successful DARPA program at the Department of Defense. Bart, along with experts at the National Academy of Sciences, believes ARPA-E is the first step in a giant innovative leap towards U.S. energy independence, smarter energy usage, and accelerated research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of the next generation of energy technologies and practices. The ARPA-E concept was also successfully included in the recently signed COMPETES Act - making it the first energy related legislation signed into law this Congress.

He has also authored legislation to ensure that federal buildings are meeting energy efficiency goals and a bill to make it easier to get alternative fuels like E85 ethanol and biodisel out to consumers.

In his home state of Tennessee, Bart played a seminal role in making the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory a reality. The SNS is the most advanced scientific facility of its kind and will be home to the next generation of materials research. It will be used to study the atomic properties of a wide range of physical and biological materials for American industry, including lightweight aircraft wings, faster electronic chips, superconducting magnets for trains, protective coatings for fluids, and more durable metals.

He authored and shepherded House passage of legislation in the 110th Congress to establish methamphetamine health-based clean-up guidelines within the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency - an effort he began in the 109th Congress. His work to stem the scourge of "meth" seeks to protect unsuspecting families from the dangers of illegal labs in their communities, and provide needed tools for local law enforcement to detect toxic hazards often hidden from plain sight.

A central role of the Science and Technology Committee is to conduct oversight of all non-military research and development. In the 109th Congress, Bart joined forces with House Government Ranking Member Henry Waxman to introduce H.R. 839. That legislation would ensure federal scientists can carry out their responsibilities free from political interference. In addition to this legislation, the Science Committee has been active in oversight of Federal agencies with scientific integrity issues. Oversight of NASA's interference with climate scientist James Hansen's access to the public was one area where the Committee engaged in vigorous bipartisan oversight. The result was needed policy changes at NASA.

Bart has also worked to bring to light the truth about offshoring. With more and more U.S. jobs and facilities moving overseas, American families face flat job growth and stagnant wages. To find ways for American workers to compete in the world economy without sacrificing their standard of living, the best data and action plans are vital. In the 109th Congress, Science Committee Democrats successfully worked to compel the release of a long-hidden offshoring report by Technology Administration analysts. In the 110th Congress, the Committee is conducting a series of hearings on the topic and plans to produce a report on their findings.

The Committee is working to improve forecast-warning capabilities of the National Weather Service in an effort to protect lives and property in the face of violent weather events. Again working in a bipartisan fashion, the Committee is monitoring ongoing acquisition problems with weather satellites currently under construction which will be relied upon to provide the U.S. with accurate daily and severe weather forecasts. Bart and his colleagues want to assure that these much needed forecasting tools are delivered to the American people on time and on budget.

Science in the 21st Century creates jobs, sustains our economy, enhances our knowledge of the universe and serves to better our everyday lives. The Committee's job is a big one and under the leadership of Chairman Gordon it will remain committed to supporting responsible scientific progress.

Subcommittee Quick Links
[space]  [technology]  [research]  [oversight]  [energy]

space and aeronautics

technology and innovation

research and science education

Investigations and Oversight

energy and environment

The 110TH CONGRESS (2007-2008) The Library of Congress: THOMAS



 

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