Bill Foster

One member of Congress says American science faces threats from many directions and he’s in a position to help as the new chairman of the House Science Committee’s investigations and oversight subcommittee.

Congressional Research and Development Caucus co-chair Bill Foster (D-Ill.) shared concerns with NIST budget decreases on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The fiscal 2020 budget request cuts about $300 million from NIST across most areas, including manufacturing and scientific measurements.

An exchange over a tiny NIST program takes one budget debate out of the purely political realm.

Citing the Government Accountability Office’s plans to increase its capacity to conduct science and technology audits later this year, the Commerce Department’s inspector general said staffing up GAO makes more sense than reviving the Office of Technology Assessment. 

Lawmakers say they will withhold their pay, but is it constitutionally possible?

Democratic House lawmakers, together with the largest federal employee union, have called on EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to step down amid a growing number of federal investigations.