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Related: About this forumU.S. Science Laureate Bill Derailed by Repubs
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives was expected to give swift approval to a bill introduced this spring by a bipartisan coalition of legislators in both the House and the Senate. The legislation would allow the president to name not more than three laureates at a time to an unpaid position that could last up to 2 years. The idea was considered so innocuous that it was to be brought up under special rules requiring a two-thirds majority and allowing no amendments.
The bill was never discussed in any committee, however, and Larry Hart of the American Conservative Union hit the roof when he saw it on the House calendar for the next day. (The Washington, D.C.-based group calls itself the oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization in the nation.) In a letter to other conservative organizations and every House member, Hart said the bill would give President Barack Obama the opportunity to appoint someone who will share his view that science should serve political ends, on such issues as climate change and regulation of greenhouse gases. He also called the bill a needless addition to the long list of presidential appointments.
The House Republican leadership reacted immediately, pulling the bill from the floor schedule. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) had introduced the bill along with Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), who chairs the House science committee, and a House Democratic aide says we had expected it to pass easily. Its no secret that Ms. Lofgren and chairman Smith dont see eye-to-eye on many things. But they agree on the value of creating this honorary position.
A staffer for another co-sponsor, Representative Randy Hultgren (R-IL), took issue with Harts characterization of the bill as a vehicle for the president to advance his political agenda. This is not a presidential appointment, and there would be no taxpayer money involved, the aide said. This bill is simply a chance to show our children that discovery science is important and that science can be an exciting and rewarding career.
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http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2013/09/u.s.-science-laureate-bill-hits-roadblock
CincyDem
(6,407 posts)God knows that if we show our children that discover science is important, they might discover something about the difference between fact and opinion, and then, well...all hell breaks loose when attendance at the Creationist Museum falls off because kids actually know as fact that little boys and girls weren't out 6000 years ago riding their pet dinosaurs.
northoftheborder
(7,575 posts)Too bad a bunch of nincompoops railroaded it!
undeterred
(34,658 posts)wit der stinkin ebolushun and globul warmin.