Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today opposed a bill that needlessly imposes a layer of political review on investments in scientific research. Under the bill, the National Science Foundation (NSF) would only be able to award grant funding if the research is declared to be “in the national interest.”

DelBene offered an amendment to clarify that climate change research is in the national interest, but Republican leaders refused to allow a vote.

“This bill is an insidious attempt at injecting politics into the scientific research process,” DelBene said. “It’s disappointing that Republican leadership wouldn’t even allow a vote on my amendment to ensure research continues on the causes of climate change and possible solutions to address it.

“Research and innovation are central to American competitiveness and a driving force in our economy. To remain a world leader, we need to ensure our scientists can explore transformative new ideas and frontiers based on the merits of their research – not the subjective opinions of politicians in Congress.”

Two other amendment from DelBene, ensuring the NSF can fund projects to develop a globally competitive workforce in computer science and preventing the bill from disrupting existing grants, were adopted by the House and included in the final bill. H.R. 3293 passed on a 236-178 vote.

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