Personnel cuts have been (and are still being) implemented across the Federal government for the last two months. Getting rid of actual government bloat isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but completely eviscerating whole programs and government sectors is not the way to do it.
Enter California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren who introduced 5 bills this week to the House of Representatives. Each of the bills – H.R.s 2207-2211 – aim to prevent harmful cuts to organizations crucial to science in the U.S. Rep. Lofgren’s bills seek to protect the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NASA and NOAA by preventing further reductions in force. The term “reduction in force” is a diplomatic way of saying layoffs, job eliminations and firings.
The bills are proposing a moratorium on slashing further jobs in the organizations. While the pause on reductions in force would be temporary, it should give each of the institutions time to protect themselves from overreaching cuts. As with any bill, they get an initial assignment into a committee and all five of Rep. Lofgren’s bills were assigned to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Protecting these five organizations are crucial to scientific research in the U.S. It’s hard to tell what could happen if extreme cuts continue to parts of the government important to national security.
Rep. Lofgren has been at the forefront of technology-related bills in the House for decades, having first been elected to Congress in 1994. She currently serves on the same Science, Space, and Technology House committee to which her bills were assigned. As her California district covers a significant portion of Silicon Valley, it isn’t surprising she is heavily involved in legislation related to emerging technologies and clean energy.
Whether or not Rep. Logren’s bills end up being passed into law (only about 6% of bills per year become law), it’s clear she is at least standing up for science in America. She, along with others in Congress, understand the importance of keeping the U.S. on the cutting edge of scientific development.
