Scientists & Engineers for America

Bill Foster


Bill Foster
D-14-IL


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202-225-2976
1339 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1314

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630-362-0096
P.O. Box 703
Geneva, IL 60134

Biography

FOSTER, Bill, a physicist from Illinois, born in Madison Wisconsin in 1955; graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a BA in Physics in 1975; received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in Physics in 1984; founder of Electronic Theaters Inc.; worked as physicist focusing on particle acceleration at FermiLab from 1984 to 2006; winner of a variety of professional awards, including Rossi Prize for Cosmic Ray Physics in 1988 and the Federal Energy and Water Management Award (Dept. of Energy) in 1998; chosen as fellow to American Physical Society in 1998; Won special election for House of Representatives, March 8, 2008.

Election Update

Rep. Foster was re-elected in 2008 and will continue to serve in the 111th Congress.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE

During the 2008 elections, all candidates were invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Many answered, but Bill Foster did not. You can still urge him to answer by contacting him through his webform today.

BILL FOSTER'S RECORD ON SCIENCE


Contents

[edit] Education

[edit] Energy

  • Energy Policy
    • Introduced on 5/15/2009 by Rep. Waxman and cosponsored by Rep. Markey, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) aims to create jobs, protect the environment, and increase American energy independence through new regulation of utilities and industry, as well as investment in an array of new technologies. Key provisions of this bill include: mandating that, by 2020, utilities meet 20% of their electricity demand through increased efficiency and/or renewable sources, implement new energy efficiency regulations for buildings and appliances, reduce carbon emissions from large US by more than 80% by 2050, as well as investing in new clean energy technologies and improving the energy efficiency of existing technology.

      Representative Foster voted against this bill.
  • Clean Coal Technology
    • Nothing posted to date
  • Fuel Economy Standards
    • Mr. Foster supports higher CAFE standards saying:
The existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program should be significantly strengthened and incentives should be provided to U.S. auto industries and consumers to accelerate the deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. Given the vulnerable state of the U.S. auto industry, a thoughtful combination of policies and "tough love" should be implemented. We need more efficient cars and a more robust U.S. auto industry which preserves jobs and global competitiveness.[1]
  • Nuclear Power
  • Renewable Energy
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • Mr. Foster says that corn-based ethanol "is only marginally viable as an energy crop."
    • Mr. Foster says that Congress should focus more resources for geothermal energy R&D because it "has the potential to meet the energy needs of the US for many thousands of years with very small environmental impact[1]."

[edit] Environment

  • After the House failed to pass S. 22 under suspension of the rules (which requires 2/3 to vote for a provision, but does not allow any amendments), the Senate called an unrelated bill, (HR 146), to carry the omnibus land bill. The bill is a combination of over 150 public land bills and will designate over 2 million acres of land as wilderness, improve the management of currently protected land, establish new water projects, and more. Swapping the original legislation in HR 146 for the land bill was designed to make finalizing the bill in the House easy.

    When HR 146 was brought to the Senate, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) introduced several amendments, though only one passed:
    • Amendment 682: to make it less likely that casual stone collectors would run afoul of the criminal restrictions on taking paleontological fossils from federal land (passed)
    • Amendment 675: to stop federal officials from using the power of eminent domain to take land from citizens. Critics say this amendment was unnecessary as eminent domain would not be used in any lands included in the bill.
    • Amendment 677: to require an annual report on the total size and cost of federal property.
    • Amendment 679: to strike provisions that would block renewable-energy development on public land
    • Amendment 680: to bar new construction in national parks until the Interior secretary certifies that current sites are up to date, and
    • Amendment 683: to eliminate what Coburn considers to be "frivolous" projects
The bill passed the Senate on March 19, 2009. It passed the House by a vote of 285-140 on March 25, 2009. Representative Foster voted for this bill. It was then signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009.

[edit] Climate Change

  • Mr. Foster says that "global warming is dangerous and real" and that "it is our responsibility to fix this problem in the way that does the least damage to our plans for economic growth in the U.S. and throughout the world."
  • Furthermore, he also says:
It is crucial that we get a more accurate scientific picture of the situation as soon as possible. If the global warming problem must be corrected within 10 years, this will be much more expensive to "fix" than if we have 70 years to correct the problem. Thus a high priority should be given to measuring and computer-modeling of the Earth's climate, so that the effects of corrective actions -- as well as the price of inaction -- can be properly understood[1].
  • Mr. Foster says that "The free market does not naturally address the climate change issue...o address this we must implement economic policies that reflect the true costs of venting CO2 and other greenhouse gases[1]."

[edit] Health

  • Template:Vote-HHRAndEducationAndAppropriations2010
  • Introduced on March 3, 2009 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256) aims to increase the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating tobacco in America. The legislation would empower the FDA to require larger warning labels on cigarette packaging, control nicotine levels, and regulate the advertising and marketing of cigarettes. During the 110th Congress, an identical bill had passed in the House in July of 2008 but was never considered in the Senate. The current bill passed in the House on April 2, 2009 by a vote of 298-112. Representative Foster voted for this bill. The Obama administration has released a statement in support of the bill and Senator Edward Kennedy stated that “the Senate will approve it expeditiously.”
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • Mr. Foster says that health care coverage should be comprehensive. And a health care plan should start by strengthening Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. He also says that the health care plan must increase emphasis on preventive care and improve treatment for chronic diseases[2].
  • Healthcare
    • After being vetoed twice by President Bush in 2007, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (H.R. 2) bill was reintroduced in the 111th Congress on January 13, 2009. SCHIP provides a subsidy for children’s insurance for families that cannot afford private insurance yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. The cost of the program is funded by an increase in cigarette taxes of 62 cents per pack. The House of Representatives voted 289-139 to pass the bill on January 14, 2009. Representative Foster voted for this bill. The Senate also passed SCHIP, and it was signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009.
  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research
    • Nothing posted to date
  • Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research
    • Nothing posted to date
  • Food

[edit] Innovation

  • Stimulus
    • On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). This stimulus bill contains over $30 billion for energy initiatives including the Smart Grid Investment Program and advanced battery systems; $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy for both businesses and homes; over $8 billion for augmenting energy efficiency in federal buildings and housing programs; and $7 billion to extend broadband service to underserved communities. The Act also gives the National Science Foundation $3 billion for research; the National Institutes of Health over $10 billion for research and renovations; NASA $1 billion, a portion of which to employ more scientists; and the Department Of Energy’s Office of Science $1.6 billion for energy research. Finally, it provides $19 billion for a modernized Health Information Technology (HIT) system; $87 billion to help fund Medicaid programs; $1 billion for health prevention programs; subsidies for temporary insurance; and $19 billion for clean water and environmental restoration programs. For a more complete listing of the bill’s provisions, click here.

      It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 246-183 on February 13th and passed the Senate on February 13th. Representative Foster voted for this bill.
  • COMPETES Act
    • Nothing posted to date

[edit] Research and Research Management

[edit] Technology

  • On March 18, 2009, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced the Electronic Waste Research and Development Act (HR 1580) which works to reduce the waste caused by dumping unwanted electronics and to boost awareness of how to recycle such products. The bill would fund increased research on how to separate out hazardous material from waste as well as fund grants to universities to create curriculums to help in the reduction of this waste. HR 1580 passed in the House by voice vote on April 22, 2009. Representative Foster voted for this legislation.
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.

[edit] Endnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Energy that is Safe, Secure and Affordable. http://www.foster08.com/2007/12/energy_that_is.html
  2. ↑ Affordable and Comprehensive Health Care for America. http://www.foster08.com/2007/12/medical_care_sm.html
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