In this issue:
ASME CO-SPONSORS 2nd ANNUAL “DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FUELS
INNOVATION IN STEM” CAPITOL HILL DAY
On April 13-14, 2011, ASME co-sponsored the 2011 “Diversity and Inclusion
Fuels Innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)”
Capitol Hill Day. While there are a number of successful science and technology
advocacy days on Capitol Hill, none of them focus solely on the need to strengthen
the diversity of the STEM workforce. This is the second year that the Society
of Women Engineers (SWE) has lead the organization of this event and the ASME
Center for Leadership and Diversity (CLD) has co-sponsored. Four CLD leaders
were in attendance.
The 2011 Capitol Hill Day events consisted of training for participants and
a Capitol Hill reception on April 13th, followed by a Capitol Hill breakfast
and Congressional visits on April 14th. Speakers at the training who provided
attendees with insight into current policy issues related to diversity in
STEM included: Dr. Earnestine Psalmonds, Senior Program Officer, Policy and
Global Affairs Division of the National Academy of Sciences; Dr. Dahlia Sokolov,
Democratic Staff Director, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education,
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Damien Diggs, Attorney,
Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education; and, Matthew Hussey,
Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
During the April 14th reception, several Congressional champions of STEM
and diversity-related issues provided remarks. These champions included: Rep.
Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); 2008 SWE President’s Award recipient, Rep. Eddie
Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL); and, Rep. Silvestre Reyes
(D-TX). Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) also stopped by the event to show his support.
On April 14th, Dr. Libby O’Hare, SRCD/ AAAS Congressional Fellow from
Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ)’s office, served as the breakfast keynote
speaker. A Ph.D. by training, Dr. O’Hare provided attendees with some
general tips on how to talk to Congressional staff, and more insight into
the workings of a Congressional office. After the breakfast, Congressional
visits were scheduled for attendees with their Congressional representatives.
In addition to ASME, the following twenty-seven STEM and diversity organizations
co-sponsored the event: American Association of University Women; American
Indian Science and Engineering Society; American Institute of Chemical Engineers;
American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering; American Nuclear
Society; American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers; American
Society of Civil Engineers; American Society for Engineering Education; American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers; Anita Borg
Institute for Women in Technology; Association for Women in Science; IEEE-USA;
Institute of Industrial Engineers; International Society of Automation; MentorNet;
National Action Council of Minorities in Engineering; National Center for
Women and Information Technology; National GEM Consortium; National Society
of Black Engineers; National Society of Professional Engineers; SAE International;
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; Society of Manufacturing Engineers;
Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.; SPIE- The International
Society for Optics and Photonics; The Optical Society; and, Women in Engineering
Pro-Active Network.
For more information about the 2011 “Diversity and Inclusion Fuels
Innovation in STEM” Capitol Hill Day, please contact Melissa Carl, ASME
Manager of Government Relations, at carlm@asme.org. Ms. Carl
handles science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
issues for ASME.
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO EXPAND OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION
This week, as oil prices continue to trend upward, squeezing budgets for families
nationwide, the House passed, 266-149, a bill which would require the Interior
Department to conduct offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico
and off the Virginia coast. The bill, H.R. 1230, is called the "Restarting
American Offshore Leasing Now Act,” and was passed amid disagreements
between House leaders and President Obama regarding a path forward for energy.
Two remaining bills being considered in the house would make permitting for
offshore drilling significantly faster (HR1229) and more expansive (HR1231).
H.R. 1230 is expected to be combined with these measures at a later time.
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also recently created the House
Energy Action Team, made up of 26 members, including Energy and Commerce Chairman
Fred Upton (R-MI) and Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) as well
as numerous members from both committees. The group will act as leadership’s
primary vehicle for pushing its energy agenda and enhancing awareness of House
leadership agenda.
President Obama has called for Congress to vote to eliminate certain tax
breaks enjoyed by the oil and gas industry, arguing that they are unnecessary.
President Obama addressed this issue in a letter to Congressional leaders
during the last Congressional recess. On the Senate side, Sen. Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), as well as some of her colleagues have joined the call to eliminate
these tax breaks. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Finance Committee,
has proposed eliminating tax breaks for the largest oil and gas companies.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) are
expected to unveil a counterproposal early next week that would seek to accomplish
this goal. It will be difficult for Congress to reach consensus before the
start of the annual August recess.
To read H.R. 1230 and a summary of its provisions drafted by the Congressional
Research Service (CRS), go to http://thomas.loc.gov
and search by bill number.
Robert Rains handles public policy-related standards issues for ASME. He
can be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
PTSI ACT OF 2011 MARKED UP BY SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation marked up S.
275, the “Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2011 (PTSI
Act),” on May 5th. PTSI Act would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the Department of Transportation
(DOT) for fiscal years (FYs) 2011 through 2014. The legislation is a broad-based
reauthorization that targets known vulnerabilities and outstanding issues
in pipeline regulation. The bill was approved, along with other measures,
by voice vote. Amendments were adopted by Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), and Tom Udall (D-NM). Sen. Boxer introduced a proposal with
her California colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) earlier this year that
also seeks to bolster the nation’s pipelines by conducting more frequent
stress tests.
Specifically, this legislation:
• Increases the cap on civil penalties for violators of pipeline regulations,
and adds civil penalties for obstructing investigations;
• Permits expansion of excess flow valve requirements to include multi-family
buildings and small commercial facilities;
• Sets more stringent standards on State “One-Call” systems
by eliminating all exemptions given to local and state government agencies,
and their contractors, on notifying “One-Call” centers before
digging;
• Permits the requirement of installation of automatic or remote-controlled
shut-off valves on new transmission pipelines;
• Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations that establish time
limits on accident and leak notification by pipeline operators to local and
state government officials and emergency responders;
• Requires the Secretary to evaluate whether integrity management system
requirements should be expanded beyond currently defined high consequence
areas and establish regulations as appropriate;
• Increases public availability of pipeline information, inspections,
and standards by requiring that this information be made available on PHMSA’s
public website;
• Authorizes additional pipeline inspectors and pipeline safety support
employees, through a phased-in increase over the next four years;
• Allows PHMSA to recover costs for oversight of large pipeline design
and construction projects; and,
• Authorizes appropriations for PHMSA for fiscal years 2011 through
2014.
To read S. 275 and a summary of its provisions drafted by the Congressional
Research Service (CRS), go to http://thomas.loc.gov
and search by bill number.
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can
be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
HEARING: “THE ROLE OF THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION IN
AMERICA’S ENERGY FUTURE”
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee
on Environment and the Economy conducted a joint hearing recently entitled,
“The Role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in America’s Energy
Future.” The hearing focused on the critical role played by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the development of nuclear power generation
in the United States to help meet the nation’s current and future electricity
needs.
Since the disaster in Japan on March 11, Chairman Jaczko has been seeking
to publicly assuage concerns regarding the vulnerability of the U.S. domestic
nuclear fleet to natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The N.R.C. approved
a plan to conduct a 90-day study of the significance of the Japanese events
for American reactors, Chairman Jaczko, said, with updates after 30 and 60
days. The "quick-look" 90-day review of the country's nuclear power
plants will help the NRC determine if immediate changes in emergency preparedness
are needed in the wake of Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis.
Four of the five NRC commissioners testified at the hearing on issues including:
• The functioning of the Commission to ensure timely decision-making;
• Impact of the Japan nuclear incident on nuclear safety policy;
• Status of licensing and re-licensing nuclear reactors; and,
Review of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) license for construction
of a repository at Yucca Mountain. The hearing became heated, however, when
Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) objected to a line of questioning
from Ranking Member and former Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA). Rep. Waxman angered
Rep. Shimkus by reading to Chairman Jaczko accusations made against him in
communications to the subcommittee. Rep. Shimkus was using the materials as
part of an ongoing investigation into the cancellation of Yucca Mountain and
felt that these disclosures were intentionally premature. Rep. Waxman read
e-mail messages from an NRC official who suggested that Chairman Jaczko illegally
ordered agency staff to begin to close down the licensing process for Yucca
Mountain. In a second e-mail message, the same NRC person said Jaczko delayed
releasing until after last November’s elections to provide Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with a political advantage. Sen. Reid was reelected
in his state amid a difficult year for his party nationwide in 2010. Proponents
for Yucca Mountain have contended that the NRC is not permitted to close the
repository, and that the DOE could not withdraw its application for Yucca
Mountain to the NRC, without an act of Congress permitting it to do so. Thus
far, Chairman Jaczko has drawn scrutiny for his refusal to issue a final ruling
by the NRC on appeal of this decision.
It is likely that the House Energy and Commerce Committee will continue to
hold hearings regarding the procedure for closing the Yucca Mountain facility.
For additional information on the hearing, go to:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=8532
The Energy and Commerce Committee issued a press release following the conclusion
of the hearing. It may be read at http://energycommerce.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=8559
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can
be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON ESTABLISHING CEDA
This week, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing
on the establishment of a Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) to
encourage development of new energy technologies. Legislation authorizing
the creation of CEDA was approved by the Energy Committee on a bipartisan
basis during the 111th Session of Congress (S. 1462, the “American Clean
Energy Leadership Act of 2009; Senate Report 111-48, please also see the June
19th, 2009 Edition of Capitol Update). The current proposal would also seek
to address the persistent lack of available financing for clean energy projects
and reflects a bipartisan frustration by the Committee on the Department of
Energy Loan Guarantee Program (LGP).
Last fall the Committee held a hearing where Sen. Bingaman (D-NM) was very
critical of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and its role of oversight
with the LGP. Sen. Bingaman suggested that OMB was hurting the efficiency
of the program and not establishing a clear chain of command regarding the
approval of loans within the LGP. Sens. Bingaman and Murkowski believe that
CEDA could correct the problems they see with the LGP, and bring more projects
forward in an expedited fashion.
The proposed CEDA would be modeled after successful examples, such as the
Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and provide
a full suite of financial services such as loans, loan guarantees, and other
financing options to help inject capital into clean energy projects. Sen.
Bingaman has indicated that he would like to see the Committee vote this out
before Memorial Day, as well as other energy-related legislation. During the
hearing Sen. Murkowski stressed that her support for CEDA was, in part, predicated
on the initial $10 billion cost to create the CEDA program being offseted
by a spending reduction. Sen. Murkowski was also quick to identify the virtue
of “recycling” the funding for the program by applying it to different
clean energy projects.
Specifically, CEDA would:
• Establish in DOE a Clean Energy Deployment (CED) Administration,
under the direction of an Administrator and a Board of Directors;
• Establish a self-sustaining portfolio of investments that will maximize
the value of investments to effectively promote clean energy technologies;
• Promote the participation of private financial institutions and other
sources of private capital on commercially reasonable terms; and,
• Promote the availability of financial products to small business through
working with entities that have appropriate expertise extending credit or
other relevant financial services to small companies developing clean energy
technologies.
To read Chairman Bingaman’s opening statement, please visit: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=16bf8a50-1af3-4806-a31e-b6b7282fda1b&Month=5&Year=2011&Party=0
To read Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski’s opening statement, go to: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Print&PressRelease_id=77e3a383-e3b8-48c8-972b-22ecd32cfa8f&SuppressLayouts=True&Party=1
Additional information about the hearing, including the written statements
of the hearing’s witnesses and an archived webcast, please visit: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=929b04b3-bbb7-c4d3-c14a-e477af7b1291
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can
be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
GATES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES PORTFOLIO OF INNOVATIVE GRANTS TO
DEVELOP NEW TEACHING AND LEARNING TOOLS THAT SUPPORT TEACHERS AND HELP STUDENTS
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently announced a suite of investments,
totaling more than $20 million, focused on identifying and expanding promising
cutting-edge learning resources that support teachers and students and bring
innovative new instructional approaches into America’s classrooms.
These investments will support:
• The development of game-based learning applications;
• Math, English language arts and science curricula built in to digital
formats;
• Learning through social networking platforms; and,
• Embedded assessments through a real-time and engaging environment
of experiences and journeys.
Each of these promising resources is aligned to the Common Core State Standards,
which are college- and career-ready standards being implemented in more than
40 states. According to its mission statement, “the Common Core State
Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected
to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.
The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting
the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college
and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities
will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”
For additional information on the Common Core State Standards, refer to: http://www.corestandards.org/.
“Teachers are telling us what they want, and we are listening,”
said Vicki L. Phillips, Director of Education, College Ready, at the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation. “We believe these exciting world-class
tools have the potential to fundamentally change the way students and teachers
interact in the classroom, and ultimately, how education works in America.”
Among the game-based learning tools in which the Foundation is investing
are the following:
• $2.6 million for iRemix, which is being developed by Digital Youth
Network, will be a set of 20 literacy-based trajectories that allow students
to earn badges and move from novice to expert in areas like creative writing;
• $2.5 million to Institute of Play, which will build a set of game-based
pedagogical tools and game-design curricula that can be used within both formal
and informal learning contexts; and,
• $2.6 million to Quest Atlantis, which is creating video games that
build proficiency in math, literacy and science.
Additional information on the $20 million investment in game-based learning
and other digital tools can be found at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/press-releases/Pages/common-core-tools-110427.aspx
For more information about the Foundation’s investments related to
technologies in education, visit www.gatesfoundation.org\education.
Melissa Carl handles public policy-related science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) issues for ASME. She can be reached at: carlm@asme.org
FY 2011 BUDGET CUTS FUNDING FOR EIA'S ENERGY DATA AND ANALYSIS
PROGRAMS
The final fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget provides $95.4 million for the U.S.
Energy Information Administration (EIA), a reduction of $15.2 million, or
14 percent, from the FY 2010 level. EIA must act quickly to realize the necessary
spending reductions during the present fiscal year, which is already more
than half over. Among the reductions announced are national surveys that collect
data on energy investment and usage -- data that can't be collected in the
future if it isn't collected now. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Rep. Rush
Holt (D-NJ) criticized the cuts as a step backward for charting a path toward
a new energy future. Rep. Holt has asked House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
to restore funding for the EIA.
Initial adjustments to EIA's data, analysis, and forecasting programs include
the following:
• Not preparing or publishing the 2011 edition of the annual data release
on U.S. proved oil and natural gas reserves;
• Reducing data on electricity exports and imports;
• Terminating updates to EIA's International Energy Statistics;
Energy Analysis Capacity;
• Halting preparation of the 2012 edition of EIA's International Energy
Outlook; and,
• Eliminating annual published inventory of Emissions of Greenhouse
Gases in the United States.
In addition to these program changes, EIA will cut live telephone support
at its Customer Contact Center. A complete list of anticipated program and
activity cuts at EIA may be viewed at: http://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press362.cfm
Sen. Bingaman, Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,
issued a statement on the EIA funding reductions. His statement is available
at: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=d4365067-93e1-4911-b556-932bef90ed80&Month=4&Year=2011&Party=0
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can
be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN CAPITOL UPDATE ARE NOT POSITIONS OF ASME OR ANY OF
ITS SUB-ENTITIES, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED AS SUCH. THIS PUBLICATION IS DESIGNED
TO INFORM ASME MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OF CONCERN BEING DEBATED AND DISCUSSED IN
THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, IN THE STATES, AND IN THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
ASME Government Relations
1828 L Street, NW, Suite 906
Washington, DC 20036