Congresswoman Johnson offers amendment to fully fund National Science Foundation’s program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Washington, DC – The House yesterday passed H.R. 2847, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJS Appropriations Act), with an amendment by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.  The CJS Appropriations Act funds the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice and federal scientific research and programs, for fiscal year 2010.

Congresswoman Johnson’s amendment dedicates $32 million of the $862 million for education activities at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).  The funding designation was recommended by both the Obama Administration and NSF.  The amendment passed the House by a vote of 389-35.

“HBCU-UP funds are used to encourage African-American students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or for initiatives to train highly-qualified math and science teachers,” Congresswoman Johnson said.  “These funds are critical in our efforts to enlarge the domestic STEM workforce and to eliminate the disparities that currently exist.”

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.