Last night, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) together introduced H.R. 36, the “Combatting Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019” and H.R. 34, the “Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2019.”
H.R. 36 would expand research efforts to better understand the causes and consequences of sexual harassment affecting individuals in the scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics workforce, and to examine policies to reduce the prevalence and negative impact of such harassment.
“I am so pleased to be joined by my good friend, Ranking Member Frank Lucas, in introducing both H.R. 36 and H.R. 34,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. “H.R. 36 is an important first step ensure equitable access to education and research experiences for women in the sciences. Sexual harassment is driving some of our brightest minds away from careers in research at a time when we need them most. If we are to tackle the scientific and technological challenges ahead of us, we must do more to ensure women are free to conduct their research without being degraded, harassed, or abused because of their gender.”
“H.R. 36 has a foundation of more than a year of investigation, analysis, and recommendations from the Science Committee,” said Ranking Member Frank Lucas. “Pervasive sexual harassment in the scientific community discourages women from critical work in good paying jobs and hurts American competitiveness. It’s unacceptable for taxpayer dollars to fund researchers who are guilty of harassing students or colleagues. Curbing sexual misconduct is a priority that Chairwoman Johnson and I share and I’m proud that this bill is one of the first introduced in this Congress.”
H.R. 34 would ensure consideration of water conservation and use in the Department of Energy’s research, development, and demonstration programs to help guarantee efficient, reliable, and sustainable delivery of energy and clean water resources.
“The Energy and Water Research Integration Act calls attention to the critical link between energy and water and instructs the Department of Energy to ensure due consideration of water issues in its research, development, and demonstration programs and provide additional tools to better guide these efforts well into the future,” said Chairwoman Johnson. “I would like to commend the Department of Energy for taking substantive action on this issue under the leadership of former Secretary Moniz and more recently under Secretary Perry. Working together, I hope that we can demonstrate a strong, sustained commitment to research and development in this vital area.”
“The Energy and Water Research Integration Act is bipartisan legislation that will improve our understanding of the relationship between energy and water use,” said Ranking Member Frank Lucas. “This bill will encourage the development of innovative technologies for water use, reuse, and recovery in the energy sector. Innovations from this research could improve efficiency and reduce water use in oil and gas production across the country and in my home state of Oklahoma.”