Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Analysis of Implications for science of midterm elections, from the Ecological Society of America
November 20, 2018
The Ecological Society of America was one of many scientific and conservation organizations that joined the NPCC in working to Get Out The Vote this year. ESA discusses the results of these efforts and their consequences for science below.
We worked to Get Out The Vote, in part, because of the accelerating
attacks on science in Congress (read more about these attacks in the
NPCC News Archives.) The NPCC will continue to work with our partners to
Get Out The Vote so that the public's support for science, plants, and the environment can be transformed into public policy.
New committee leaders plan hearings on climate change, promise to re-center science.
Mid-term Elections Bring New Science & Environmental Leadership to Congress
When the 116th Congress begins in January, Democrats will assume the majority in the House of Representatives and committees relevant to science and environmental policy will have new leadership. New committee chairs have pledged to use their positions to re-center the role of science in policy. Already, the likely new chairs of the House Science, Natural Resources, and Energy and Commerce committees are planning two days of hearings on "the effects of climate change and the need for action."
House Science, Space and Technology Science Committee: Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) is the front runner to serve as chairwoman. Johnson has been the ranking member of the committee since 2010. Before her election to Congress, she worked as a psychiatric nurse. Under current Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-TX) leadership, the Science Committee held hearings questioning mainstream climate science and highlighted individual NSF grants perceived to be wasteful. Smith introduced the HONEST Act, which would limit the Environmental Protection Agency's use of science in regulations where the underlying data are not publicly available.
If appointed chair, Johnson pledges to prioritize STEM education, to protect science from political influence, and to promote understanding the science behind climate change. Johnson may also continue the committee's bipartisan work on combating sexual harassment in the sciences. The Washington Post reported that she aims to review the EPA's proposed secret science rule as well.
Smith is retiring and did not seek re-election. It is not yet clear who will serve as the committee's ranking member -- Vice Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Energy Subcommittee Chair Randy Weber (R-TX) are both possibilities.
House Natural Resources Committee: Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) is the top candidate to serve as committee chairman. Grijalva has promised to investigate corruption in the Interior Department under Secretary Ryan Zinke. As ranking member, Grijalva
criticized the National Park Service for removing mentions of climate change from a report on sea level rise, and the
Department of the Interior's 'Secret Science' policy (see
Policy News Oct. 22, 2018).
House Appropriations Committee: Appropriators in the 116th Congress could also increase or restore funding for science programs, including those concerning climate science. Current Ranking Member Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) will probably serve as the chair of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY), a strong supporter of NASA's earth sciences program, will serve as the chair of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee.
Climate Policy: Nineteen of the 43 Republican members of the Climate Solutions Caucus, a group of lawmakers dedicated to taking action on climate change, either lost re-election or will retire. This number includes the caucus' Republican founder, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL). The caucus uses a 'Noah's Ark' approach, which means one Democrat and one Republican must join at the same time. The Citizen's Climate Lobby, the organization that started the caucus, said in a statement that the group will find a new Republican to co-chair the caucus and that "reports of the death of the Climate Solutions Caucus are greatly exaggerated." Separately, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who co-sponsored Curbelo's carbon tax legislation, said that he intends to continue Curbelo's work on climate change in the Republican caucus.
Meanwhile, the favored candidate for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House Democrats plan to relaunch the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Republicans disbanded this committee after they took control of the House in 2011. From 2007 to 2011, the committee held hearings on climate policy, leading to legislation creating a cap-and-trade system for CO2 emissions. Democrats are deliberating internally on whether this committee will have legislative jurisdiction and who will serve on this committee.
Scientists in Congress: Nine STEM related professionals were elected to Congress; eight Democrats and one Republican. The 314 Action Fund, a group dedicated to electing scientists to public office, is celebrating the victories of the eight candidates it endorsed with some scientific background. These future Members of Congress include several engineers, an ocean scientist, a dentist, a nurse who is a health policy expert, and a pediatrician.
Senate: Though the Senate will retain a Republican-majority, the chamber will see some movement in its committee leadership positions. Current Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman John Thune (R-SD) will leave that position in order to become the Republican Caucus’ majority whip. Commerce, Science and Transportation Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) lost his bid for re-election. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is the next highest ranking Democrat on the committee, but it is unclear if she is interested in giving up her spot as the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to serve as ranking member in the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee.
