Congressional Briefings/Events

ASME GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS

ASME Government Relations conducts congressional briefings to inform Members of Congress and their staff about engineering, science and technology aspects of current public policy issues and to increase awareness among Congressional staff of ASME as a credible source of technical information.  During the briefing, which typically lasts 1.5 hours, ASME examines a broad set of topics with a distinguished speaker or panel of speakers presenting to attendees.  Speakers are from industry, academia, and government.   ASME works closely in conjunction with the House Research and Development Caucus, the House Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Caucus and Innovation and Diversity Caucus to initiate and convene congressional briefings.

 

The Road to the New Energy Economy: Re-Engineering Water for Power – April 25, 2012
[Congressional Briefing Cosponsorship] ASME partners with IEEE-USA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and DISCOVER magazine to convene a briefing series entitled, “The Road to the New Energy Economy”. This discussion concentrated on the energy demands for clean water supplies and how future technology could allow cleaner water and even power generation from reclamation.

The honorary host for the event was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. NSF Deputy Director Cora Marrett was a special guest. Thomas Peterson, assistant director, NSF's Directorate for Engineering, moderated the event. The program featured guest speakers Richard Luthy, director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure at Stanford University (http://urbanwatererc.org), and Patricia Mulroy, general manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District, Southern Nevada Water Authority.

 

2012 Engineering Public Policy Symposium – April 17, 2012
ASME took the lead in organizing the annual “Engineering Public Policy Symposium” which is funded by a grant provided by the United Engineering Foundation. Approximately 120 Society leaders from 34 engineering organizations attended the Symposium which focused on policy initiatives related to the “Outlook for Federal Funding of Research and Development”.

The 2011 amended Budget Control Act (BCA) will initiate $1.2 trillion in sequestrations over nine years, beginning with Fiscal Year 2013. Sequestrations will automatically reduce defense appropriations by 11% and every account in non-defense appropriations by 8%, effective January 2, 2013.   In addition to triggering sequestrations, the BCA amendments mandate caps for overall discretionary spending over a ten-year period beginning with Fiscal Year 2012.  Appropriators must adhere to those caps in the aggregate, but they may alter individual accounts to reflect their priorities.  What will this mean for research and the engineering community?

Agency officials discussed their research priorities for Fiscal Year 2013, the impact of the BCA on their recently released strategic plans, new initiatives, public-private partnerships and the outlook for future funding of engineering and science research. Congressional visits were convened during the afternoon.

Presentations/Remarks by The Honorable John Holdren, Ph.D., Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; The Honorable Patrick D. Gallagher, Ph.D., Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology; Arun Majumdar, Ph.D., Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency and Nominee, Under-Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; The Honorable Judy Biggert (R-IL) and The Honorable Rush Holt (D-NJ), Co-Chairs, Congressional R&D Caucus, U.S. House of Representatives; and Kesh Narayanan, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Director, Directorate for Engineering, National Science Foundation

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The Road to the New Energy Economy: Geothermal Energy – March 27, 2012
[Congressional Briefing Cosponsorship] ASME partners with IEEE-USA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and DISCOVER magazine to convene a briefing series entitled, “The Road to the New Energy Economy”. This discussion centered on the basic figures related to geothermal; i.e. it provides 3,100 megawatts of electricity in nine states, roughly half of all renewable power in the U.S. There are 146 current projects in 15 states that are underway, complimenting eight enhanced geothermal systems. Blackwell focused his remarks on the geological data on record that supports the theory that geothermal energy could be harnessed in some parts of the country to provide reliable, and affordable, base-load power. Blackwell even went so far as to proclaim that geothermal could satisfy the country’s full energy needs “many times over,” if properly harvested. Finally, Gawell focused on the policy aspects of geothermal, suggesting that on a longer cost-curve, it becomes highly competitive with more traditional resources and technologies.

Presentations/Remarks by David Blackwell, W.B. Hamilton Professor of Geophysics in the Roy Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University; James Faulds, Director, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, and a Professor at the University of Nevada-Reno; and Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association

 

2012 SWE Capitol Hill Day – March 21-22, 2012
[Consponsorship] ASME co-sponsored the 2012 “Diversity and Inclusion Fuels Innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)” Capitol Hill Day. The 2012 Capitol Hill Day events consisted of training and a Capitol Hill reception on March 21st, followed by a Capitol Hill breakfast and Congressional visits on March 22nd. This is the third year that ASME has co-sponsored the SWE-led event.

The training included an overview of current public policy issues related to women and STEM, a discussion of the current tight fiscal climate on Capitol Hill, retention of more women and under-represented minority engineering faculty, tips and insight on talking with Congressional staff and the workings of a Congressional office; visit talking points which highlighted the group’s support of the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and perspectives from the Administration and Congress.

During the reception, several Congressional champions of STEM and diversity-related issues provided remarks. These champions included: 2008 SWE President’s Award recipient, The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); The Honorable Judy Biggert (R-IL); The Honorable Robert Dold (R-IL); The Honorable Daniel Lipinski (D-IL); and the Honorable Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).

On the following morning, the breakfast presentation provided a brief history of activities in the public policy arena intended to motivate attendees before participating in actual visits. Attendees were also given the opportunity to review the Congressional talking points, and break down into small groups to prepare for the subsequent visits with their Congressional representatives before adjourning.

Presentations/Remarks by Melissa Tata, President, Society of Women Engineers ; Karen Horton, P.E., Chair, SWE Government Relations and Public Policy Committee ; Bevlee A. Watford, Ph.D., Chair, Diversity Committee, American Society for Engineering Education; Libby O’Hare, Ph.D., Office of Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ); Alexis McKittrick, Ph.D., Chair-Elect, SWE Government Relations and Public Policy Committee; Brenda Manuel, NASA Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity; Rachel Bird, Office of Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE); Lauren Van Wazer, White House Council on Women and Girls; Betty Shanahan, Executive Director/CEO, Society of Women Engineers; Linda Thomas, Society of Women Engineers

 

Research That Pays Off: The Economic Benefits of Federally Funded R&D – March 16, 2012
[Congressional Briefing Cosponsorship] In a 1988 national address, President Reagan asked Congress to increase spending on research, calling it "an indispensible investment in America's future." President Obama says science is "essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, and our environment." But the federal share of research spending is now half of what it was in the 1950s. With China's investment in state-funded R&D on track to eclipse that of the U.S. in coming decades, our global status as number one in science is at risk. What consequences will this have for our long-term economic productivity and the future of American industry? In this briefing, an engaging panel will discuss the critical contributions that federally funded R&D have made to American industry in recent decades, how it can continue to return dividends, and what effect this investment could have on long term economic prosperity. It turns out that many of the great economic engines of recent times had their start as federally funded initiatives.

Presentations/Remarks by Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Correspondent, The Economist, & Author of Need, Speed & Greed; Dr. Fred Block, Research Professor of Sociology, University of California at Davis; Dr. Katie Hunt, R&D Director, Innovation Sourcing & Sustainable Technologies, The Dow Chemical Company; Simon Tripp, Senior Director, Technology Partnership Practice, Battelle Memorial Institute

 

2012 ASME Inter-Sector Committee on Federal R&D – March 5, 2012
ASME Research & Development Task Force Members attended this overview of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request and discussed legislative priorities for the 112th Congress. Following the speaker panel, attendees met with agency officials during the afternoon.

Presentations/Remarks by Chris King, Staff Director, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; Neil Canfield, Republican Professional Staff Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Hilary Cain, Democratic Professional Staff Member Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Leland Cogliani, Democratic Professional Staff Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations; Kei Koizumi, Assistant Director for Federal R&D, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP); and Matt Hourihan, Director of R&D Budget Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

 

The Road to the New Energy Economy: Wind Energy – February 29, 2012
[Congressional Briefing Cosponsorship] ASME partners with IEEE-USA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and DISCOVER magazine to convene a briefing series entitled, “The Road to the New Energy Economy”. This discussion centered on Wind Energy.

Presenters/Remarks by Dr. Timothy L. Killeen the Assistant Director for Geosciences at the National Science Foundation, and a Past President American Geophysical Union; William P. Mahoney III, Deputy Director, Research Applications Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research; Dr. Saifur Rahman Director, Advanced Research Institute at Virginia Tech; and Rob Gramlich, Senior Vice President, Public Policy American Wind Energy Association

 

2012 Engineers Week DiscoverE Summit – February 22, 2012
[Cosponsorship] Moderated by Miles O'Brien, lead science reporter for the PBS NewsHour, the DiscoverE Summit focused on the dynamic partnership between educators and volunteers to improve K-12 STEM education. Additionally, the inaugural DiscoverE Educator Awards, recognizing outstanding STEM educators, were presented as part of the Summit.

Presenters/Remarks by Victoria A. Rockwell, President, ASME; Subra Suresh, Ph.D., Director, National Science Foundation; John Manahan, Special Assistant, Office of the Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Linda Katehi, Ph.D., Chancellor, University of California, Davis; Corey S. Powell, Editor-in-Chief, DISCOVER Magazine; Diane Melley, Director, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM; Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education; Michael Smith, D. Eng, Deputy Executive Director, National GEM Consortium; Rosemarie Truglio, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Education and Research, Sesame Workshop; Charles Vest, Ph.D., President, National Academy of Engineering; Thomas G. Loughlin, Executive Director, ASME

More information about the DiscoverE Educator Award winners can be found at: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/press-releases/engineers-week-2012-names-outstanding-stem-teacher

 

Small Modular Reactors – September 8, 2011
Small and medium modular reactors, 300 megawatts or less, represent one of the most promising reactor concepts of the U.S. Nuclear Renaissance, offering such advantages as improved safety and economics, shorter construction times, distributed generation, and availability for non-power generation applications.  For the FY 2012 Budget, the Obama Administration has requested $95 million to support new reactor concepts.  In total, the Administration would like $452 million over the next five years to support a government-industry cost share SMR Program.  In June, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Committee honored the Administration’s request to support SMRs as part of their annual appropriations bill.  Pete Lyons from the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy joins us to discuss the Administration’s hope for small modular reactors.  Sandy Byrd, Vice President, Strategic Affairs, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation and Richard J. Myers, Vice President, Policy Development, Planning and Supplier Programs, Nuclear Energy Institute also weigh in on the topic.     

 

Post-Fukushima Town Hall Meeting – August 2, 2011
Members of the ASME Tallahassee section, in collaboration with Village Square of Florida, held an educational outreach event on the nation's nuclear energy options post-Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Tallahassee, Florida. The event, which was free of charge and open to the public, was held in Miller Hall on campus at Florida State University. The intention of the event was to further educate the public about the current technologies associated with nuclear energy, the energy needs of the U.S. moving forward, and the potential global future of nuclear energy.

Panelists for the event included:

The video is available for viewing at http://wfsu.org/vod/asme-080211.php

 

ARPA‐E and the Energy Technology Revolution – July 7, 2011
Authorized under the bipartisan “America COMPETES Act of 2007” (P.L. 110‐69) and modeled after the highly successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program, ARPA‐E received its first funding, $400 million, as part of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” (P.L. 111‐5). For the first funding opportunity announcement issued, 37 projects were selected, out more than 3,700 applicants, to receive funding up to $4 million to conduct high risk, high reward, research in order to develop disruptive technologies that could permanently transform our nation’s energy economy. ARPA‐E recently released another funding opportunity announcement for $130 million. Now, a little over two years after ARPA‐E received its first funding, DOE Senior Advisor and Director for ARPA‐E Arun Majumdar speaks about the program’s vision for our nation’s energy landscape and for emboldening innovation. View Presentation

 

Global Competitiveness: How University Research Contributes to American Innovation – June 16, 2011
University‐based research plays a critical role in driving our nation’s innovation and long‐term state higher education budgets and reduced federal support for science and research. This briefing will highlight the findings of ITIF’s new report on U.S. research universities and discuss the importance of university research to private sector job growth and innovation. Featured Speakers/Presentations: Stephen Ezell, Senior Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Dr. Rick Rashid, Senior Vice President for Research, Microsoft; Dr. Terri Lomax, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, North Carolina State University; and Dr. Alan Leshner, CEO, American Association for the Advancement of Science

 

2011 Engineering Public Policy Symposium – May 17, 2011
The Engineering Public Policy Symposium highlighted key issues before Congress and the Administration related to "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education and the 21st Century Workforce." The event brought together over 100 leaders - Presidents, President-Elects and Executive Directors - from the Nation's thirty-three engineering societies, representing more than two million engineers. ASME served as the Chair and lead organizer of the Symposium, which was made possible by a grant from the United Engineering Foundation. Featured Speakers/Presentations: Honorable John Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; Peter Zamora, Senior Education Counsel, Senator Jeff Bingaman; Christopher J. Toppings, Professional Staff Member, Education Policy Office, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY); Thomas W. Peterson, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Engineering, National Science Foundation; Michael Lach, Special Assistant for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education, U.S. Department of Education; Honorable Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), United States Senate; and Honorable Eric D. Fingerhut, Senior Consultant, Battelle

 

Engineering Concepts in the K-12 Classroom – May 18, 2011
An overview of how engineering concepts are currently taught in the K‐12 classroom, and how engineering can be used to effectively teach science, mathematics, and technology. The target audience for this briefing is Members of Congress and their staff on the House and Senate Education Committees. Presentations by: Bill Nott, Vice President, ASME Center for Public Awareness and Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

 

STEM 101: An Overview of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Policy and Issues – March 10, 2011
An overview of potential STEM education policy issues that will be discussed and debated in the 112th Congress, as well as help recruit new members for the House STEM Education Caucus. The target audience for this briefing is new Members of Congress and their staff, as well as new science and education staff in all offices. The Caucus has held similar events in the past (ASME serves on the Caucus Steering Committee). Presentations by: Edward Swallow, NDIA STEM Workforce Division Chair and James Brown, Executive Director, STEM Education Coalition

 

Increasing Minority Participation in the STEM Fields – 2/15/2011
On February 15th, ASME co-sponsored a Congressional briefing related to the recent National Academies report that focuses on retention of underrepresented minorities in STEM. Briefing speakers included: Dr. Freeman Hrabrowski, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and chair of the National Academies study committee; and Dr. Shirley Malcom, Head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resource Programs at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). SWE and several other science and engineering professional organizations also co-sponsored the briefing.

 

Building the Future Today: How Scientific Research Drives Economic Growth and National Security – February 2, 2011
An overview of U.S. and international research practices, how government funded research is used, where the money goes, and why it's so important to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. Presentations highlight how U.S. universities participate in federally funded research (Tobin Smith, Vice President, AAU), how private sector innovation interacts with federal research (Kathleen Kingscott, Global Strategic Partnerships, IBM), and how the technologies born out of federal funding have multifaceted applications as a public good (Doug Raaberg, U.S. Air Force and Space Programs, Northrop Grumman).

 

NASA Aeronautics Research & Development - September 29, 2010
As a world leader in aeronautics research and development, NASA has been instrumental in making air travel safer and environmentally responsible.  We are pleased with NASA’s strong commitment to aeronautics R&D, including the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System.  This renewed emphasis on unmanned aircraft system integration, bolstered verification and validation capabilities and commitment to environmentally responsible aircraft will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the U.S. aerospace workforce.  NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will speak about NASA’s focus on these critical research initiatives and provide her perspective on the importance of aeronautics research and development to continued U.S. innovation and competitiveness.

 

The Road to the New Energy Economy - Summer/Fall 2010-2011
ASME, IEEE-USA, NSF, and DISCOVER are continuing our collaboration on a series of four congressional briefings entitled “The Road to the New Energy Economy.” The briefings will focus natural gas and turbine efficiency, small modular reactors, electrification for transportation, and workforce. For video and more information, please visit http://discovermagazine.com/interactive/new-energy-economy/natural-gas/main.html#/home

  • Gas Turbine Efficiency and Methane Hydrates – 7/14/2010
  • Small Modular Reactors (SMR) – 9/30/2010
  • Electric Vehicles – 3/23/2011
  • Biofuels – 6/24/2011

 

2010 Engineering Public Policy Symposium - April 20, 2010 
On Tuesday, April 20th 2010, Engineers from across the country convened in our nation’s capitol to add their voice, along with their technical expertise, to the growing call for renewing our nation’s global reputation as the foremost nation for engineering and science as part of the eighth annual Engineering R&D Symposium.

 

ARPA-E and the New Energy Economy - April 21, 2010
Authorized under the bipartisan “America COMPETES Act of 2007” (P.L. 110-69) and modeled after the highly successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program, ARPA-E received its first funding, $400 million, as part of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” (P.L. 111-5).  For the first funding opportunity announcement issued, 37 projects were selected, out of more than 3,700 applicants, to receive funding averaging $4 million to conduct high risk, high reward, research in order to develop disruptive technologies that could permanently transform our nation’s energy economy.  ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar speaks about the program’s formula for transforming our nation’s energy landscape and for emboldening innovation.