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What’s Ahead
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| Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at a polling station on Nov. 8. (Image credit – Office of Sen. Schumer) |
Congress Returns to Business Following Midterm Election
Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill this week for Congress’ “lame duck” session, the short period that occurs after an election and before membership changes over. It is already clear that Democrats will retain control of the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to keep his job. Accordingly, there is now less pressure on him to press ahead with nominations during the lame duck session, leaving additional room for legislative business. It remains undetermined which party will control the House, but Republicans have the clearer path to a majority, albeit an apparently narrow one. There is intense speculation over the political dynamics of that scenario, as it is not clear that enough Republicans will support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to elect him speaker, or that he will have strong control over his caucus if he remains the party’s leader.
Who ultimately occupies House leadership positions will determine how much bipartisan negotiation will be allowed and what legislation will receive votes. Talks to finalize fiscal year 2023 appropriations may provide some sign of what way the winds are blowing. The stopgap funding most federal programs are operating on expires on Dec. 16, and by that time it may be clearer whether Democrats and Republicans can reach a deal quickly or if negotiations will drag on well into the new calendar year. Meanwhile, though, there is a strong chance the annual National Defense Authorization Act will be finalized before the new Congress begins as it tends to be relatively insulated from partisan dispute and is a high priority for lawmakers in both parties who are focused on military affairs.
Energy Technology Nominees Face Senators
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on Thursday to consider the nomination of energy industry executive David Crane to be the Department of Energy’s under secretary for infrastructure, a newly reconfigured position that oversees DOE’s clean energy demonstration and deployment efforts. Crane has been leading DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations since September, a role not requiring confirmation that he took on shortly after his nomination. Crane was CEO of utility company NRG Energy from 2003 to 2015 and was most recently CEO of Climate Real Impact Solutions, a clean energy investment firm. The committee will also consider the nominations of Jeff Marootian to lead the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Gene Rodrigues to lead the Office of Electricity. Nominated in July and September, respectively, the two are among the last nominees for DOE R&D leadership positions to remain unconfirmed, along with Evelyn Wang, who is awaiting a floor vote on her nomination to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy.
Science Committee Celebrating Webb Telescope Results
The House Science Committee is returning to business with a hearing on Wednesday spotlighting early science results from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope launched last December following a protracted and troubled development, and began science operations in July. For the most part, it has performed superbly, discovering far-distant galaxies formed during the earliest history of the universe and imaging closer objects with unprecedented clarity. It is also enabling more detailed examinations of planets orbiting other stars and could eventually discover potential signatures of life. Appearing at the hearing will be new NASA Astrophysics Division Director Mark Clampin, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steve Finkelstein, and University of California, Santa Cruz astronomer Natalie Batalha.
NASA Proceeding With Artemis I Launch Despite Hurricane Exposure
More than a week ago, NASA rolled out the Space Launch System rocket to its launch pad in spite of an approaching tropical weather system that later intensified into Hurricane Nicole. The agency reported afterward that peak wind gusts remained within the rocket’s design parameters, and over the weekend officials indicated there was superficial damage to the rocket and its payload, the Orion crew vehicle. NASA has called off its first potential launch attempt this week, which was scheduled for just after midnight on Monday, but it still plans on trying to launch during other upcoming opportunities, the first of which is early Wednesday. During a call with reporters, Jim Free, the head of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development directorate, defended the decisions to roll out SLS and to not roll back once it became clear the storm was intensifying, but he also acknowledged NASA would probably not have rolled out had it known the storm would become a hurricane. Making its inaugural flight, the SLS is propelling Orion on the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed journey around the Moon that will serve as a test for crewed missions to follow.
Space Studies Board Holding Fall Meeting
The National Academies Space Studies Board is convening its fall meeting this week, with public sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first day is dedicated to updates from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and the board’s five committees, as well as a presentation on the progress NASA’s Earth Science Division has made in the nearly five years since the release of the Academies’ most recent Earth science decadal survey. The second day will feature an update from the international Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) as well as sessions on science results from the James Webb Space Telescope, the progress of the Europa Clipper mission, and the work of NASA climate scientists on this past summer’s heat waves. Former NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and retired Lockheed Martin executive Wanda Sigur will also discuss a recent Academies study they led on ways to measure the vitality of the science community NASA supports.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Landsat images showing the drought-driven shrinking of Lake Powell on the Utah–Arizona border between 2017 and 2022. A draft of the Fifth National Climate Assessment states, “Rising temperatures from human-caused climate change have increased aridity in the Southwest, causing more severe droughts, hotter extreme heat events, drier soils, and reduced flows in major rivers such as the Colorado and Rio Grande. … Since 2000, the Southwest has experienced an exceptional ‘megadrought,’ defined as an episode of intense aridity that persists for multiple decades.” (Image credit – Joshua Stevens / NASA Earth Observatory) |
Administration Releases National Climate Assessment Draft
On Nov. 7, the Biden administration released a draft of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the latest iteration of the quadrennial U.S. report on climate change, its impacts, and strategies for reducing present and future risk. The report finds that global average temperatures over the past decade were about 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial era, and notes that in the U.S. warming has been “about 68% faster than the planet as a whole” over the last half-century. It further finds that the climate is changing at a rate unprecedented in human history, and that increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events are having negative economic, social, and public health impacts across the U.S. The report states that while U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell by 12% between 2007 and 2019, going forward they must decline 6% annually to meet the target of net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition to emissions reductions, the report calls for systemic changes and “transformative” adaptation approaches, such as redesigning cities to address heat, in order to mitigate the unequal impacts of climate change. Pointing to the economic and social benefits of mitigation and resilience measures, it asserts that “the costs of these actions are far outweighed by benefits to both current and future generations.” The draft will undergo extensive review before it is finalized sometime next year, beginning with a public comment period that runs through January. In addition, a National Academies committee is kicking off an independent review of the draft assessment on Tuesday.
DOE Seeks Input on R&D Strategies for Emerging Technologies
The Department of Energy Office of Science is seeking input on strategies for accelerating innovation in 10 “key technology focus areas”: artificial intelligence, microelectronics, quantum information science, advanced manufacturing, advanced communications technology, biopreparedness, biotechnology, data management and cybersecurity, advanced energy technologies, and materials science. These areas are essentially the same as those prioritized in the CHIPS and Science Act and that will be focal points for the National Science Foundation’s new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate. Like the TIP Directorate, the Office of Science is specifically interested in research approaches that can bridge the “valley of death” between basic research and technology commercialization, especially “trans-disciplinary” and “place-based” approaches that draw on regional resources and expertise from national laboratories, regional universities, and industry. It is also seeking input on the specialized scientific facilities and training programs required to support the development of new technologies and industries. Comments are due Dec. 23.
NASA Names Jimmy Kenyon Director of Glenn Research Center
NASA announced last week it has selected Jimmy Kenyon to be director of its Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, effective immediately. Kenyon joined the center in 2019 as director of its Advanced Air Vehicles Program and had been serving as acting director of the entire center since June. Previously, he worked in leadership positions at the Pratt & Whitney aerospace company and in various civilian roles at the Department of Defense. Glenn Research Center focuses heavily on technology development projects and it is currently leading the development of the Power and Propulsion Element of NASA’s Gateway lunar outpost. At the moment, there is considerable turnover in the leadership of NASA’s R&D centers. Planetary scientist Laurie Leshin took over as the new director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in May, Armstrong Flight Research Center Director David McBride retired earlier this year, and Goddard Space Flight Center Director Dennis Andrucyk plans to step down soon. In addition, NASA Science Mission Directorate head Thomas Zurbuchen is leaving his role at the end of the year.
Commerce Department Settles With Fired Hydrologist Sherry Chen
The Commerce Department has agreed to pay $550,000 to hydrologist Sherry Chen as well as $1.25 million over 10 years to resolve a civil suit over her firing in 2016 from the National Weather Service, which the department oversees. The FBI arrested Chen in 2014 on charges related to passing information to China, only for the Justice Department to drop the case months later, but that did not prevent her eventual dismissal. In 2018, a judge with the Merit Systems Protection Board, which adjudicates cases relating to federal employees, agreed with Chen that she had been the victim of a “gross injustice” and ordered the Commerce Department to rehire her. However, the department appealed the ruling and the case became stuck in limbo until now. Last year, the Commerce Department investigative unit that referred Chen’s case to the FBI came under congressional scrutiny for systematic abuse of its power, including in its targeting of Chen, leading the department to shut it down. In a statement on her settlement, Chen remarked, “The Commerce Department is finally being held responsible for its wrongdoing and for the conduct of its illegal security unit, which has had a devastating impact on my life and the lives of so many other federal employees.”
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Standard Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, November 14
Tuesday, November 15
Wednesday, November 16
Thursday, November 17
Friday, November 18
Monday, November 21
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Opportunities Society of Physics Students Seeking Policy Interns
The Society of Physics Students is seeking applications from undergraduate physics and astronomy students for its 2023 summer science policy internship program, which is sponsored by AIP. The Mather Public Policy Internship places two students in congressional offices and SPS also places a student with FYI to assist in science policy reporting. Internships are also available in roles focused on research, education, public outreach, and science writing. Applications are due Jan. 16.
Federation of American Scientists Hiring Fellows
The Federation of American Scientists is hiring fellows for one-year placements across the federal government, including three positions with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and another at the Department of the Air Force focused on emerging technologies. Candidates should have significant subject matter expertise and experience working with federal agencies. The Air Force position requires an advanced degree in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or the physical sciences. Applications are due Nov. 30.
Lewis-Burke Hiring Legislative Research Assistant
Lewis-Burke Associates, a federal lobbying and consulting firm that represents a number of research universities and scientific organizations, is hiring a legislative research assistant. The assistant’s responsibilities will include policy analysis, reporting on congressional hearings and advisory committee meetings, and producing policy newsletters. Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, preferably in STEM, public policy, political science, or a related field. Applications are due Nov. 18.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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Around the Web
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