News

Chairwoman Johnson Celebrates President Biden Signing the CHIPS and Science Act into Law

— Today, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law.   “Today, President Biden signed into law the most significant investment in American science, technology, and innovation in over a decade,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “We saw the critical need to revitalize support for our scientific enterprise and we answered it. With the enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act, we have the resources and support to remain a leader…  Continue Reading

Chairwoman Johnson Applauds Oil and Gas Operators Joining the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0

– Last month, three major U.S. oil and gas operators – ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy, and Pioneer Natural Resources – announced their decision to join the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0. The OGMP 2.0 framework, a voluntary initiative overseen by the UN Environment Programme in collaboration with governments, environmental organizations, and oil and gas companies, represents the gold standard for methane emissions measurement and reporting in the oil and gas sector. ConocoPh…  Continue Reading

Chairwoman Johnson and Congresswoman Lofgren Applaud House Passage of Wildfire and Drought Package

– Today the House passed H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, which includes provisions to address the effects of extreme drought and wildfire conditions that are being exacerbated by a warming climate. This comprehensive package of 49 bills includes language from Science Committee bills including H.R. 6012 the Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act, H.R. 8449 the Fire Ready Nation Act, H.R. 5781 the Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act, and H.R. …  Continue Reading

Federal investments in science are needed to reduce wildfire

It used to be that October marked the end of wildfire season, and the most destructive fires occurred in or around forested areas. But increasingly, more Americans experience the impacts of wildfires year-round.  In 2021, nearly 50,000 wildfires were reported, which burned over  seven million acres of land. And as we saw with the Marshall fire in Boulder County, sometimes the most devastating fires can happen in suburban areas in the dead of winter. As members of Congress representin…  Continue Reading

A federal coal ash strategy: putting health and safety first

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would crack down to protect public health and the environment from coal ash contamination. EPA will ramp up enforcement of its rules to prohibit companies from dumping coal ash into unlined storage pits, and to require those companies to speed up their efforts to close down the existing pits that have been shown to leak. As the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I want to see our federal age…  Continue Reading

Mapping a Strong Future for Ocean Science and Technology