What's New @ IEEE-USA - Eye On Washington

Vol. 2008, No. 16 (14 November 2008)

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

House Science Chairman Tells Newsweek That Innovation Will Solve America's Energy & Economic Needs

GAO Lists Top Urgent Issues For Next President and Congress

Looking Ahead: Senate Energy Committee Chairman's Goals for 111th

Scientist, Engineers and "IT Guys" in the 111th Congress

President-Elect Obama Resigning This Sunday From Senate

House Judiciary Chair Eliminates Intellectual Property Subcommittee for the 111th

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

President-Elect Barack Obama Publishes Technology & Innovation Plan

Science Organizations Urge President-Elect Obama to Promptly Name White House Science Advisor

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

U.S. STATES WATCH

California Voters Approve Funding for High-Speed Rail System

AWARDS & GRANTS

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

House Science Chairman Tells Newsweek That Innovation Will Solve America's Energy & Economic Needs

House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) recently discussed the need for a new government entity - the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) - with the mandate to invest in revolutionary technologies. In an interview with Dr. Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek magazine, Gordon stressed that the private sector alone isn't up to the challenge of finding future fuels to guarantee our energy independence. Gordon also offered a related statement on his website, stating, "The full burden of developing these new technologies cannot fall exclusively to the business community.  Companies have to be accountable to stock holders, so their legitimate fear of failure means they are focused on tested ideas and near-term research.  The current system at the Department of Energy limits pursuit of cross-cutting and multi-disciplinary ideas."

GAO Lists Top Urgent Issues For Next President and Congress

Acting Comptroller General Gene Dodaro released a list of 13 urgent issues the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified as among those needing the attention of President-Elect Obama and the 111th Congress during the first year of the new administration. The list is the centerpiece of a new Web site GAO launched this month that is designed "to help make the transition an informed and smooth one across the federal government."

Looking Ahead: Senate Energy Committee Chairman's Goals for 111th

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) outlined his legislative intentions in a speech to the Senate before the committee recessed for the November election. The chairman described the future agenda for new energy technologies, energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, and funding. Bingaman also described plans to solicit expert opinion in the coming months on matters before the committee, and the the bipartisan approach he will take. Bingaman has a strong relationship with the committee's Ranking Republican, Pete Domenici (R-NM), who is retiring at the end of this session of Congress. Larry Craig (R-ID), the next most senior Republican on the committee, is also retiring. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is next-in-line on the Republican side. Alaska has been noticeably impacted by warming temperatures, and Murkowski has cosponsored legislation authored by Bingaman to reduce carbon emissions.

Scientist, Engineers and "IT Guys" in the 111th Congress

Next year's freshmen congressional class contain a larger than usual number of people with backgrounds in science, engineering or medicine.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) - Worked as a computer repair person for a time Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) - Technology venture capitalist Rep. Parker Griffith (D-AL-5) - Degrees in dentistry, zoology and chemistry, professional oncologist Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO-2) - Invested and made millions in internet companies in the late 1990's Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO-4) - Owned a web services company Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-15) - NASA program engineer inspector Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) - Degree in mathematical economics Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA-6) - Degree in biochemistry, doctor

Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM-1) -Degree in mechanical engineering, worked as a mechanical engineering draftsman Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-21) - Degree in mechanical and industrial engineering Rep. Christopher Lee (R-NY-26) - Worked for a motion control technology company and computer company Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY-29) - Photonics engineer Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) - Veterinarian Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-1) -Degree in biology, doctor for 31 years Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY-at large) - Degrees in animal science and biology Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-3) - Degree in mathematics Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS-3) - Degree in chemistry

President-Elect Obama Resigning This Sunday From Senate

13 NOV: President-elect Barack Obama said today he would resign his Senate seat Sunday, clearing the way for Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to appoint a replacement. Several names have been mentioned as possible replacements, including Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), Congressmen Luis V. Gutierrez, Danny K. Davis and Jan Schakowsky, as well as former congressional candidate and current Illinois director of veterans affairs Tammy Duckworth.

"It has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the United States Senate. In a state that represents the crossroads of a nation, I have met so many men and women who’ve taken different journeys, but hold common hopes for their children’s future," Obama said in a statement.

The timing of his resignation means he will miss a lame-duck session next week which could include some tough votes on an economic stimulus plan and several outstanding trade agreements. He also will not be part of a vote on the fate of Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats but campaigned against Obama in favor of Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) Vice President-elect Joseph Biden (D-Del.) has not given any indication of when he will resign. He is widely expected to favor an arrangement where his son, state Attorney General Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III, would eventually succeed him in the Senate. The younger Biden is a National Guard officer on duty in Iraq until October 2009. Outgoing Gov. Ruth Ann Minner is expected to appoint someone who would not want to seek election in 2010.

House Judiciary Chair Eliminates Intellectual Property Subcommittee for the 111th

13 NOV: Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) announced today that all intellectual property issues in the next congress will be handled by the full House Judiciary Committee rather than at the subcommittee level. Conyers made the decision to take that portfolio of issues, including an expected complicated overhaul of the nation's patent laws, away from the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. In exchange, that subcommittee will have jurisdiction over antitrust issues in the new Congress, the committee aide said.

The jurisdictional swap comes at a time when the IP subcommittee is undergoing a change in leadership. Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) is moving over to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Committee staff said that handling matters at the full committee level "ensures a broader group of members are hashing out these issues." Interest among committee members in intellectual property issues is so high the subcommittee's roster grew to include nearly two-thirds of the full committee membership ranks. Intellectual property also is the area of committee jurisdiction of most intense interest to business groups, including high technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical interests who have squared off over a patent law overhaul for years.

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EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

President-Elect Barack Obama Publishes Technology & Innovation Plan

Science Organizations Urge President-Elect Obama to Promptly Name White House Science Advisor

"It is essential to quickly appoint a science advisor who is a nationally respected leader with the appropriate scientific,
management and policy skills necessary for this critically important role." - Letter to President-Elect, Obama

Under the leadership of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of American Universities, almost 180 organizations signed a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama urging him to quickly appoint a White House Science Advisor by Inauguration Day. The letter also asks that the position be called the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and that it be made a cabinet-level position. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars made similar recommendation in a report issued last summer. For a complete list of signatories to the letter, see http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2008/1031letters.shtml

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REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

Government Accountability Office

The Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: September 2008 Update GAO-09-94R, November 6, 2008 Summary (HTML)   Full Report (PDF, 13 pages)

OECD 2008 Science Outlook

The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) released the latest edition of its Science, Technology and Industry Outlook last month. The report examines global dynamics in the fields of science and technology, and provides country-level analyses for all OECD members. The findings of the report show that OECD member spending on R&D continues to grow (reaching $818 billion in 2006).  However, the rate of that growth is slowing. Between 1996 and 2001, R&D spending grew at annual rate of 4.6 percent. Since then, the rate has dropped to 2.5 percent. Within these broad categories, the distribution of R&D spending is changing. Several emerging economies, namely China, India, Russia, and South Africa, are seeing big jumps in R&D spending. The report also describes major shifts in science and technology policies which are now placing greater emphasis on building global partnerships and supporting open innovation models. Policy makers are also becoming more sophisticated in measuring the impacts of R&D investments thanks to new tools like the OECD Innovation Microdata project and more rigorous assessments of socio-economic benefits from leading programs. Access a read-only version of the 2008 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook.

Council on Competitiveness Asks Obama Administration For Action in First 100 Days to Recapture American Competitiveness

The Council on Competitiveness held a press conference —comprised of CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders—to call for America's new leaders to take bold action to recapture U.S. competitiveness. Chad Holliday, chairman of the Council and chairman and CEO of DuPont, called for an ambitious Compete Agenda that asks the government to transform its approach to workforce training, invest heavily in research and development, launch a national savings bond program to raise capitol for next-generation infrastructure and enact the Council's 100 Day Action Plan on Energy.

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US STATES ACTIVITIES

If you like to keep up with what's going on in state politics, StateLine.org provides a good overview of the activities in all 50 state legislatures.

California Voters Approve Funding for High-Speed Rail System

California voters narrowly approved a proposition to sell nearly $10 billion in bonds to finance the construction of a high-speed rail system. The rail line will run from San Diego, through Los Angeles, and up to San Francisco, with a branch running from Fresno to Sacramento. The rail system would hit many urban centers along the way, providing a fast and inexpensive way to travel the state. According to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the 432-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles will take only 2 hours and 38 minutes and will cost less than taking the trip by car. The electric-powered bullet trains will run at speeds as high as 220 miles per hour and will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

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AWARDS & GRANTS

AAAS Grant Site

The American Association for the Advancement of Science supports GrantsNet Express.  Each week, GrantsNet provides a listing of science funding opportunities from private foundations and organizations, and new U.S. government grant announcements in the sciences. AAAS will send GrantsNet by e-mail to AAAS member subscribers.

Grants.gov

The President's 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda established grants.gov as a governmental grants resource. Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs, and provides access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. Most agencies, such as the DOE's Office of Science, use only grants.gov to list all funding opportunities. Other funding opportunities of interest include the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and NASA.

National Science Foundation

For information on NSF Engineering Active Funding Opportunities, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_list.jsp?org=ENG

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LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA Now Accepting Government Fellowship Applications

Each year, IEEE-USA sponsors three qualified IEEE members to serve as government fellows: one Engineering & Diplomacy Fellow and two Congressional fellows.  The fellows spend a year in Washington, serving as advisers to the U.S. Congress or key U.S. Department of State decision-makers.  IEEE-USA's Government Fellowships link engineers with government, providing a mechanism for IEEE-USA members to learn firsthand about the public policy process through personal involvement.

The congressional fellowship consists of an appointment to the personal staff of a U.S. Senator or Congressman, or to the professional staff of a Congressional Committee. The Fellow along with the Congressional sponsor and IEEE-USA, negotiates a starting date, although IEEE-USA recommends that Fellowship terms run from January 1st to December 31st. For an application Kit for the 2010 Congressional Fellowship Program, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/cfapply.asp

The State Department fellowship begins in January of each year and offers an opportunity for an engineer to provide technical expertise to the State Department, and help raise awareness of the value of engineering input while learning about and contributing to the foreign policy process. For an application Kit for the 2010 Engineering & Diplomacy (State Department) Fellowship Program, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/state.asp

Fellows must be U.S. citizens.The postmark application deadline for 2010 Fellowships is 13 March 2009. For more information, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/default.asp

IEEE Now Accepting 2009 WISE Applications

Applications for the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program are sought from outstanding engineering students with a keen interest in public policy and evidence of leadership skills. The Summer 2009 WISE Program is scheduled from 8 June - 7 August 2009. To qualify for consideration, applicants must be juniors, seniors, or entering their final year of undergraduate studies in engineering (or computer science). WISE will also accept applications from engineering grads who are beginning Masters level study in a technology policy-related degree. Interns must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States of America.

WISE applicants should apply directly to their desired sponsor using the contact information provided. ANS, ASCE, ASME, IEEE and SAE will sponsor only individuals who are members of their societies at the time of application. Minority students are encouraged to apply. Applicants are required to fill out an application form, write two brief (one page) essays in response to questions, arrange for two faculty references, and forward an official transcript. Download the 2009 WISE program application at: http://wise-intern.org/application/index.html

2008 WISE students at the Rayburn House Office Building, Capitol Hill

Public Policy Priority Issues - 110th Congress, 2d Session (2008):http://ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/index.html

Position Statements: http://ieeeusa.com/policy/positions/index.html - IEEE-USA position statements identify important technical and/or engineering career-related aspects of specific public policy issues deemed to be of concern or affecting IEEE's U.S. members.  They make specific public policy recommendations and provide recommended approaches for consideration by the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch officials, the Judiciary, representatives of State and Local Government, and other interested groups and individuals, including IEEE members. 

Check out the new positions statements approved in June 2008 . Many more are Under Review by committees. Check back in December after the November board meeting for their approval status.

IEEE-USA In The News: http://ieeeusa.org/communications/inthenews/default.asp.

Former IEEE-USA Government Fellows Available to Speak to Sections

Earlier this year, former IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow George Hanover spoke to an IEEE PACE group in the San Francisco Bay area. He discussed the innovation and competitiveness issues that he worked on during the year he served as an IEEE-USA government fellow, working as a staffer for the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee of the House Science Committee. George also served on the personal staff of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), a member of the House Science Committee. George also discussed an engineer's perspective on the "government process" and the IEEE-USA's involvement in that process. If your section is interested in having one of the former government fellows speak to your group about the program, how the legislative process works in Washington, and how IEEE-USA is influencing it, please contact Erica Wissolik at e. wissolik @ ieee. org. For more information on the IEEE-USA Government Fellows Program, please visit: http://ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/default.asp

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Top of Page | What's New@IEEE | IEEE-USA

What's New @ IEEE-USA's Eye on Washington highlights important federal legislative and regulatory developments that affect U.S. engineers and their careers. In addition to this biweekly newsletter, subscribers receive legislative bulletins and action alerts on IEEE-USA priority issues, including: retirement security, employment benefits, research & development funding, computers and information policy, immigration reform, intellectual property protection and privacy of health/medical information.

You can change your IEEE-USA Eye on Washington subscription status by using the forms at http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/emailupdates/default.asp

Copyright © 2008, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.  Permission granted to copy for personal use or for non-commercial republication with appropriate attribution.

Updated: 12 September 2008