In an interview with Eos, Rep. Don Beyer, the second-highest-ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, details why he calls Pruitt “an embarrassment” to the Trump administration.
U.S. Congress
Senators Oppose Cutting Federal Funding for Space Station
Senators Ted Cruz and Bill Nelson say a timetable to transition the station to commercial operations in 2025 is premature, arbitrary, and political.
Senate OK’s New NASA Head by Razor-Thin Margin
Bridenstine, the first politician to lead the agency, is urged to run NASA in a nonpartisan manner and to support its science missions.
Federal Spending Act Boosts Funding for Many Science Agencies
Congressional priorities reflected in the legislation differed sharply from the administration’s.
USGS Nominee Calls Scientific Integrity a High Priority
James Reilly, a former astronaut and petroleum geologist, told senators that resolving USGS budget challenges and maintaining the agency’s core mission are other top priorities.
Environmental Ratings Lowest Ever for Congressional Republicans
Senate Republicans averaged 1%, while House GOP members averaged 5%, the worst showing since the League of Conservation Voters scorecard began in 1970.
House Science Subcommittee Hearing Targets Sexual Harassment
Witnesses testified about the culture that allows sexual harassment to persist, harassment’s impact on individuals and the scientific community, and what is being done to combat it.
Climate Change Is National Security Risk, Congress Members Warn
The Trump administration’s recently released National Security Strategy differs sharply from Obama’s strategy, which identified climate change as a top strategic risk to the country.
Divergent Republican Tax Plans Blur Future for Grad Students
The U.S. House of Representatives aims to tax tuition waivers as income, whereas the Senate does not. This new tax would undermine graduate students across all fields, experts say.
White Draws Fire as Nominee to Head Key Environmental Agency
Kathleen Hartnett White, nominated to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality, distanced herself from a new climate report and squabbled with Democrats at a Senate confirmation hearing.
