Scientists & Engineers for America

Dennis Moore


Dennis Moore
D-3-KS


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202-225-2865
1727 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1603

Campaign Contact Information

P.O. Box 14631
Lenexa, KS 66285

Biography

MOORE, Dennis, a Representative from Kansas; born in Anthony, Harper County, Kans., November 8, 1945; attended Wichita Southeast High School, Wichita, Kans.; B.A., University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kans., 1967; J.D., Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kans., 1970; United States Army, 1970; United States Army Reserve, 1970-1973; lawyer, private practice; Kansas state assistant attorney general, 1971-1973; district attorney, Johnson County, Kans., 1977-1989; board of trustees, Johnson County, Kans., Community College, 1993-1999; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1999-present).

Election Update

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

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE

SEA and eighteen other science organizations came together to ask the 2008 congressional candidates and winners seven questions on science and technology policy. See what Dennis Moore said:

Innovation

Science and technology have been responsible for half of the growth of the American economy since World War II. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies would you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?
As we all know, advances in science and technology underpin our ability to meet many of the challenges that America faces today, including protecting the citizens of our country, fostering innovation and economic development, and educating our children to operate in the knowledge-based, global economy. First, if America is going to remain a leader in our global economy, we must ensure that our students and workers are prepared for the careers of the future, which is why we must continue to focus on improving math and science education in this country, maintain a strong federal investment in scientific research and development, and find ways to encourage private investments in research and development and technological innovation. We must also address our long term energy needs with a comprehensive energy policy, which would not only reduce energy costs, but also encourage the development of new products and renewable energy sources by American companies, strengthening our economy and creating new jobs.

Climate Change

The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on the following measures that have been proposed to address global climate change—a cap-and-trade system, a carbon tax, increased fuel-economy standards, and research? Are there other policies you would support?
The most significant threat to our environment is global warming. Overwhelming scientific evidence makes clear that global warming is a real phenomenon and that human activities play a significant role. To fight global warming, dramatic changes are needed in transportation, energy production, and public policy.

That’s why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 620, the Climate Stewardship Act of 2007, which would create a National Greenhouse Gas Database and establish a program for market-driven reduction of greenhouse gases through the use of trade-able emissions allowances. This important legislation would curb the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by improving efficiency and promoting cleaner alternatives in the energy sector through a market-driven "cap-and-trade" program.

Through these incentives we can push the United States - and especially Kansas - to the foreground on alternative energy technology. Developing these technologies will benefit the environment immediately and offers the potential to sell these technologies to countries that are rapidly becoming large emitters of greenhouse gases such as China and India. Now is the time to act on global warming.

Energy

Many scientists and policymakers say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?
Continued instability in the Middle East, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, high home heating costs last winter and consistently high gasoline prices underscore the need to develop and implement energy policies that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and traditional fossil fuels.

The 110th Congress has taken steps to address various parts of our energy needs, including legislation to increase fuel efficiency, promote the use of biofuels and deal with rising gas prices by temporarily suspending the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

But to fully meet the long-term energy challenges facing our nation, we need a comprehensive energy policy that increases our domestic energy supply, promotes the expansion of refinery capacity, invests in alternative and renewable energy sources, improves energy efficiency, encourages conservation and invests in public transportation. We need a comprehensive energy plan.

That will take leadership from the White House, bipartisan cooperation in Congress and the support of the American people. This is not just a challenge, but also an opportunity to finally develop the comprehensive energy plan that President Carter urged us to do thirty years ago!

Education

A comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th. What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century?
There is no question that the jobs of the future will require a strong understanding of the principles and concepts of math and science. We must take steps now to ensure that American students and workers are prepared for the careers of the future and that our nation is equipped to compete in the global economy.

In 2005, the National Academies of Science released a report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” which warned that without increased spending on research and math and science education the U.S. could lose technology jobs to other nations. The report also outlined four main areas in which the government could foster scientific advancement: K-12 education, higher education, research, and economic policy - and made specific recommendations for each area.

Fortunately this Congress took an important first step towards improving science, engineering, and math education in the United States, when it passed, with my support, the COMPETES Act. This legislation was written to meet the global economic challenges identified in the National Academies report and to help ensure that American students, teachers, businesses, and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology development. The education component of the COMPETES Act, which was signed into law in August 2007, will: invest in 25,000 new teachers through professional development, graduate education assistance, and scholarships; ensure more highly qualified teachers in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering through competitive grant programs; establish a public-private partnership with the business community and institutions of higher education to develop programs to educate and train mathematicians, scientists and engineers to meet the workforce demands of industry; and enhance the ability of states to build more competitive workforces by coordinating education and workforce goals with industry and community leaders.

Water

Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?
We only have a finite amount of water on the planet which is consumed, released, cleaned and reconsumed in a never ending cycle. We use water for almost everything we do, from bathing and drinking to food and fuel production. Increasing pressures on the quality and quantity of available water supplies have resulted in heightened water use conflicts throughout the country.

The federal government has a long history of involvement in water resource development and management to facilitate water-borne transportation and irrigated agriculture, reduce flood losses and restore aquatic ecosystems.

As we move forward with energy conservation measures, we must use technological innovations to reduce industry and agriculture water consumption, as well as efforts to address environmental issues, such as contamination and species and ecosystem needs, so that we all have enough clean water to meet our ongoing needs.

Research

For many years, Congress has recognized the importance of science and engineering research to realizing our national goals. Given that the next Congress will likely face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?
As I have said above, I believe strongly in the importance of federal investment in scientific research and development (R&D) at agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and I will continue to support increased funding for these agencies. The research they support is a necessary investment in the future health and economic growth of our country.



Unfortunately, federal funding for R&D as a percentage of GDP has declined steadily over the last decade, and sound science has been compromised by political interference, but Congress is now working to reverse these trends. The COMPETES Act is designed to ensure that the United States is able to sustain its commitment to scientific research and development over time by: putting us on a path to double funding for the NSF, NIST, and the Office of Science; providing grants for outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers; and coordinating and prioritizing research infrastructure needs at universities and national labs.

These funding priorities are also reflected in S.Con.Res. 70, the congressional budget resolution for fiscal year 2009, which also demonstrates an understanding that without this critical investment in our nation’s technological infrastructure we risk falling behind our global economic competitors at a time when the scientific and research foundation of our economic leadership is eroding.

Health

Americans are increasingly concerned with the cost, quality, and availability of health care. How do you see science, research, and technology contributing to improved health and quality of life?
Rapidly rising premiums and exploding health care costs are stretching family budgets to the limit. While there is no silver bullet solution to the health care crisis, I am exploring several proposals to reduce the burden on our families and improve the quality of care. For example, I have introduced legislation to establish a nationwide health information technology network. The use of electronic medical records would improve health quality, reduce medical errors, reduce wasteful administrative costs and ensure that appropriate and accurate information is available for medical decisions. My legislation also puts the patient at the center of reform efforts, providing patients with more choices, more convenience and more control over their healthcare, and protects the patient’s privacy.

Technology has changed the way do our everyday tasks, like mailing a package or handling our finances. Unfortunately, the health care field has lagged behind. It is time that our health care system joins the 21st Century, moving to electronic medical records and away from paper-based records.

DENNIS MOORE'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 Moore voted for this bill.
  • Fuel Economy Standards
    • See discussion of CLEAN Energy Act under Renewable Energy section.
  • Nuclear Power
  • Renewable Energy
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • In January of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6). This legislation is intended to address a royalties oversight that occurred when the Department of the Interior issued leases for off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from 1998 to 1999. The bill would also deny income tax deductions for oil and gas companies. Revenues generated from these provisions would be used for the development of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. Opponents of the bill claimed that the legislation would raise costs for the domestic production of oil and could increase foreign oil imports. Representative Moore voted for this legislation, which passed with a vote of 264-163.

      During consideration of H.R. 6 in June of 2007, the Senate changed the focus of the legislation into developing a more comprehensive energy bill that focused on the development of renewable fuels, energy conservation, and increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. In the face of a veto threat from President Bush, the House passed the Senate version of H.R. 6 with amendments by a vote of 235-181 on December 6, 2007. Representative Moore voted for this bill. The final Senate rendering of the bill, which passed with a vote of 86-8, still included language raising CAFE standards to 35 mpg by 2020. The final version of the bill passed in the House with a vote of 314-100 and was signed into law by President Bush on December 19, 2007.
    • In August 2007, Representative Moore voted for the final passage of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 (H.R. 3221). The legislation would provide tax incentives to promote the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, including guaranteeing up to $1 billion in loans for the development of biorefineries and biofuel production facilities. The measure also would repeal tax deductions to income attributed to the domestic production of oil and natural gas. It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 241-172 and was sent to the Senate.

      A controversial amendment to the bill was H. Amdt. 748 sponsored by Representative Udall. This amendment would require retail electric suppliers to provide 15% of their electricity through a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) by 2020. Representative Moore voted for the amendment, which was adopted with a vote of 220 to 190.
  • Off Shore Drilling

[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 Moore voted for this bill. It was then signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009.

[edit] Climate Change

  • Nothing posted to date

[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 Moore 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.
  • 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 Moore voted for this bill. The Senate also passed SCHIP, and it was signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009.
    • On January 23, 2008, the House once again failed with a vote of 260-152 to pass H.R. 3963 to override President Bush’s veto of SCHIP. Representative Moore voted for this legislation.
    • On October 3, 2007, President Bush vetoed H.R. 976, citing that the bill moved too many children towards federally funded healthcare. The House attempted to override the President’s veto, but the measure failed to pass with a vote count of 273-156. Representative Moore voted for the veto override. On December 29, 2007, President Bush signed the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499) which extends funding for SCHIP through March of 2009, but does not significantly increase the program.
    • On September 25, 2007, the House passed the final version of the “Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act” (H.R. 976) with a vote of 265-169. This bill would have increased funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by $50 billion dollars over five years. Opponents saw the bill as too costly and were critical of the funding methods for the program, including a cigarette tax increase (read the floor debate). Representative Moore voted for this legislation.
    • In April of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (H.R. 493) with a vote of 420-3. Representative Moore voted for this bill. If enacted, GINA will prevent health insurance companies from adjusting premiums on the basis of genetic information and forbid requiring individuals to undergo genetic tests. The bill will also prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of genetic information. This legislation was passed by the Senate in a vote of 95-0. The House passed the Senate amended version of the bill on May 1, 2008, by a vote of 415-1. Rep Ron Paul was the only representative to vote against the bill. President Bush signed GINA into law on May 21, 2008.
    • On July 15, 2008, both Houses of Congress voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 6331), a bill to put off an almost 11% cut of payments to doctors who care for Medicare patients. The legislation offset putting off the payment cuts for doctors by reducing reimbursements to insurance companies that include Medicare patients in their managed-care programs.[1] The House voted 383 to 41 in favor of a veto override. Representative Moore voted for this legislation.
  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research
    • In December 2005, Congress passed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 2520), which President Bush signed on December 20, 2005. The law "creates a new Federal program to collect and store cord blood, and expands the current bone marrow registry program to also include cord blood." Representative Moore voted for this bill. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 431-1 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
  • 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 Moore voted for this bill.
  • COMPETES Act

[edit] Research and Research Management

  • Funding
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • In May of 2007, Representative Moore voted for the final passage of the National Science Foundation Funding Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 1867), which authorizes appropriations for the National Science Foundation for the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The final vote count was 399 to 17.

      During debate on this legislation, H. Amdt. 128 was offered by Rep. Honda that will allow the NSF to support the creation of K-12 curriculum focused on global warming, climate change, and actions people can take to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Rep. Sullivan of Oklahoma offered a secondary amendment, H. Amdt. 129, that would have required the education materials referenced in Rep. Honda’s amendment to "reflect the diversity of scientific opinion, including the diversity of opinion regarding the impact of human activities on climate change." Congressional Democrats criticized the Sullivan amendment as seeming "to suggest that there is an equal weight of evidence against that perspective [that humans are causing climate change] as there is in favor of it" (read the full debate). The Sullivan amendment failed by a vote of 166 to 250. The Honda Amendment passed by a vote of 252 to 165.

      Representative Moore voted against the Sullivan amendment and voted for the Honda Amendment.

[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 Moore voted for this legislation.
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • In the summer of 2008, the House met to consider the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304), which would give retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that wiretapped customers’ phones for the Bush administration shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The legislation also allows the warrantless wiretapping of American citizens for up to 7 days before obtaining court approval. The House passed the bill with a vote of 293 to 129, and the legislation was signed by President Bush on July 7, 2008. Representative Moore voted for this legislation.
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