United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Committee information

• Date created: 1958 as a select committee; January 3, 1959, as a standing committee
• Members: Thirty-nine members in the 115th Congress (2017–2019)
• Subcommittees: Energy; Environment; Oversight; Research and Technology; Space

Role

The United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is a committee in the House of Representatives that is responsible for overseeing all federally operated nonmilitary energy-, scientific-, and technology-based agencies and programs. The committee was established in the late 1950s in response to the Space Race between the United States and Soviet Union. Its responsibilities grew to include issues and legislation concerning energy research, environmental research, oceanic and marine research, civil aviation, the standardization of weights and measures, and more. Among the notable agencies under its jurisdiction are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Weather Service, and the National Science Foundation.

The responsibility for reviewing and overseeing legislation in the US Congress is divided among committees in the House and Senate. Each committee is assigned jurisdiction over issues relating to a specific area of concern. Committees perform a number of duties, from investigating issues to creating and voting on legislation. Committees can also make recommendations to the main chamber of the House or Senate and bring an issue to a full vote. Each committee can be further divided into subcommittees that are assigned even more specific tasks. The first committees were established in the initial Congress in 1789; however, they were only seen as temporary measures at the time. By the early nineteenth century, many committees were made permanent and the number of committees expanded. Congressional reforms in the mid-twentieth century cut back on the number of committees and set rules for the number of subcommittees.

In the 115th Congress, which was in session between 2017 and 2019, the House had twenty-one permanent committees and the Senate had sixteen. The Senate had several temporary committees, and both chambers also had a handful of shared committees. The number of committees as well as their membership and names can change with each new session of Congress. Between them, the House and Senate had more than two hundred committees and subcommittees in the 115th Congress. House rules limit the number of subcommittees to five per committee, although they do allow an exception for a supervisory oversight subcommittee. A small number of House committees are allowed more than six subcommittees. For example, the House Appropriations Committee has twelve subcommittees and the Armed Services Committee has seven. The Senate does not have a rule restricting the number of subcommittees.

Congressional committees that have been given permanent status are called standing committees. These groups have the authority to consider bills and recommend them to the full House or Senate for a vote. Standing committees typically review written opinions on a proposed measure, hold hearings to gather information, and use that information to fine-tune the legislation and agree on final language. The committee can then choose to send the measure to the full House or Senate for a vote. That process, however, does not guarantee the full chamber will decide to vote on the issue. Standing committees are also given the authority to oversee federal agencies and programs that fall under their specific mandate. In most cases, this includes recommending funding for the agencies and programs involved.

A select committee is a temporary committee established by a resolution of either the House or Senate. Select committees usually investigate emerging issues or those that do not fall under the jurisdiction of an existing standing committee. Select committees can consider legislative action, but most confine their duties to studying or overseeing an issue. Select committees are intended to have a limited life span and must be renewed to continue after their mandate expires. Some select committees have become standing committees.

A joint committee is a shared committee made up of members of both the House and Senate. These types of committees rarely consider legislative action and usually confine their work to the study of an issue or congressional “housekeeping” duties. For example, the Joint Committee on the Library oversees the operations of the Library of Congress. There were six joint committees in the 115th Congress.

History

During the late 1940s, the United States and Soviet Union became embroiled in the Cold War, an ideological conflict in which the two sides competed for political, military, and technological dominance. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the world by launching the first artificial satellite—Sputnik I—into orbit. The launch not only provided the Soviets with a propaganda victory, but it also alarmed government leaders and the American public who worried the Soviets had a decided technological edge over the United States. In response, Congress created the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration in 1958 to develop a legislative strategy to close this perceived gap.

The committee developed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which was introduced in May 1958, passed both the House and Senate in June, and signed into law by July. The act established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a government agency charged with overseeing the civilian space program. The legislation also granted the committee permanent status in the House. It was renamed the House Committee on Science and Astronautics and was officially convened when the 86th Congress began its session on January 3, 1959. At the time, the committee was the first new standing committee in the House since 1948 and the first committee created to oversee a new field of study since 1892.

The Committee on Science and Astronautics was tasked with handling legislation and funding regarding the US space program, space research and development, scientific research, scientific scholarships, and government-funded scientific agencies. During the 1960s, the committee was instrumental in funding the Apollo Program, which culminated in the 1969 landing of astronauts on the moon. In 1974, the committee’s reach expanded to issues concerning energy, the environment, civil aviation, and the National Weather Service. To reflect its new duties, the committee’s name was changed to the Committee on Science and Technology. The committee was also granted exclusive jurisdiction to review all federal laws and programs relating to nonmilitary research and development projects.

The committee was given oversight of nuclear energy research and development in 1977. In 1987, the committee became the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Eight years later, it was renamed again to the Committee on Science. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the committee’s priorities shifted toward research and development of anti-terrorism measures. For example, in 2002 the committee helped develop legislation that led to new guidelines for evacuation procedures, emergency response procedures, and engineering standards to ensure the structural safety of buildings. In 2007, the committee was again renamed, becoming the Committee on Science and Technology. Four years later, it became the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Subcommittees

As of the 115th Congress, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology consisted of thirty-nine members. Because the number of committee members can be altered with each session of Congress, the number and party affiliation of members can change in future Congresses. The ratio of Republicans to Democrats is determined by the ratio of the two parties in the full House, with the committee chair always being a member of the majority party. The committee is scheduled to meet the first Thursday of each month; however, the chair can postpone meetings or call additional sessions at his or her discretion. All committee meetings and hearings are open to the public, unless the information discussed is deemed sensitive and secrecy is required. During the 115th Congress, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology was divided into five subcommittees: Energy, Environment, Research and Technology, Space, and Oversight.

United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy

This subcommittee is responsible for the nation’s energy research and development, including issues relating to fossil fuels, solar energy, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. One of the main government entities under its jurisdiction is the Department of Energy. The cabinet-level department was created in 1977 to oversee the country’s energy policies and the management of nuclear waste materials. The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is primarily concerned with reviewing and funding the department’s research and development, laboratories, science activities, and waste management. The subcommittee had nineteen members as of the 115th Congress.

In 2018, the subcommittee was instrumental in the passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act. The act, which was signed into law in December 2018, established a ten-year plan to advance and fund the nation’s development of quantum technology. Quantum technology is an emerging scientific field that involves the properties of matter at the subatomic level. Its applications range from energy technology to computer information technology.

United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on the Environment

This subcommittee oversees federal environmental research and standards, climate change research, weather research, and oceanic research. Among the federal agencies under its jurisdiction are the National Weather Service (NWS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA was founded in 1970 to monitor the planet’s atmosphere and oceans to better predict weather patterns, climate conditions, and conditions in the oceans and major waterways. The committee is also responsible for NASA activities relating to climate change. During the 115th Congress, this subcommittee consisted of seventeen members.

In 2018, the subcommittee helped craft a measure reauthorizing the National Integrated Drought Information System, a 2006 law that uses NOAA forecasting to monitor weather patterns to provide an early warning system for possible drought conditions. The law also provides additional support for improved weather forecasting systems and the study of a phenomenon called a harmful algal bloom. An algal bloom occurs when populations of algae grow out of control and can damage an aquatic ecosystem. The measure easily passed House and Senate votes in December 2018.

United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology

This subcommittee has legislative and investigative oversight on all matters concerning federal science policy and education. Its jurisdiction covers numerous topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Some of these include health and biomedical research, information technology, agricultural and biological research, and nanoscience and nanotechnology—fields that study objects on an incredibly small scale. Among the federal agencies the subcommittee is responsible for are the research arm of the Department of Transportation, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The NIST is a scientific agency tasked with maintaining measurement standards to ensure competitiveness and innovation in US industries. This subcommittee was made up of fifteen members in the 115th Congress.

In 2018, the subcommittee’s work included reauthorizing funding for a 1977 law designed to improve earthquake preparedness in the United States. The measure passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law in December 2018. The subcommittee also worked on the non-energy-related aspects of the National Quantum Initiative Act.

United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Space

This subcommittee has jurisdiction over all aspects of the US space program, space law, the commercial use of outer space, aeronautical research, and civil aviation. Its primary charge is overseeing NASA, an agency with more than seventeen thousand employees and ten centers and laboratories across the country as of 2018. The subcommittee also oversees the National Space Council and the Federal Aviation Administration. During the 115th Congress, this subcommittee consisted of twenty-three members.

In 2018, the subcommittee reviewed and approved a Senate bill that allows private sector entities to lease NASA facilities and infrastructure for commercial use. The bill passed both the House and Senate in December 2018. Earlier in 2018, the Subcommittee on Space approved a $21.5 billion recommendation for NASA in the 2019 budget. The subcommittee’s recommendation does not mean NASA will receive that amount of funding. The budget must first be negotiated between the House and Senate and pass a vote in both chambers before going to the president.

United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Oversight

The oversight subcommittee monitors the departments and agencies under the committee’s jurisdiction to make sure they are complying with federal rules and congressional regulations. For example, during the 115th Congress, the subcommittee investigated claims that scientists at some federal facilities were being pressured to revise their findings for political reasons. The subcommittee consisted of twelve members during this Congress.

Bibliography

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Garber, Steve, and Roger Launius. “Launching NASA.” National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 25 July 2005, history.nasa.gov/factsheet.htm. Accessed 31 Dec. 2018.

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“History and Jurisdiction.” Committee on Science, Space, & Technology, 2019, science.house.gov/about/history-and-jurisdiction. Accessed 7 Jan. 2019.

“House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.” GovTrack, 2018, www.govtrack.us/congress/committees/HSSY. Accessed 31 Dec. 2018.

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“Subcommittees.” Committee on Science, Space, & Technology, 2018, science.house.gov/subcommittees. Accessed 31 Dec. 2018.