Washington, D.C. —Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today hosted a bipartisan retreat for members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.  This is the first time that the Committee has held a bipartisan retreat at the beginning of a Congress.

Chairman Smith: “Newspaper headlines insist that Capitol Hill is hopelessly gridlocked.  I want the Science, Space, and Technology Committee to be the exception; a place where members on both sides can work together to promote policies that benefit all Americans. Our goal is to build on the successes of the past and promote new ideas that will lead to future innovations and technological advancements that grow our economy and improve our quality of life.  This bipartisan retreat sets a good tone of cooperation for what can be a year of bipartisan achievements.”

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas): “I’m pleased that the Chairman hosted this retreat and that he hopes to have a bipartisan Committee this Congress. Congress has been a tough environment these past few years, but I hope that we can all agree that science, technology, STEM education, and innovation are critical to our nation’s future.  The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has much important work to do in the 113th Congress and the only way we will be able to get it done is through bipartisanship.”

Participants in the retreat included astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and science educator and engineer Bill Nye, best known for his television program, “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”  The retreat also included remarks from Wendy Swire, a consultant on negotiation using steps from William Ury’s “Getting to Yes/Getting Past No” model for effective negotiation.

Established in 1958, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has oversight jurisdiction of all non-defense federal scientific research and development.  For more information on the Committee’s broad jurisdiction, visit the website.