Education

• Educational Training
  • With a vote of 416-0 the House of Representative approved the Green Energy Education Act of 2007 (H.R. 1716) in June of 2007. The bill will allow the Secretary of Energy to contribute research and development funds to the National Science Foundation for the purpose of supporting graduate education that is related to energy technology. It also authorizes the Secretary to provide funds for the improvement of undergraduate and graduate engineering and architecture curriculum on the design and construction of "high performance buildings." Representative Kuhl voted for this bill. H.R. 1716 was ultimately integrated into the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272) which is now law, but was not fully funded in the budget.
• Educational Funding
  • Representative Kuhl voted for the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R. 362). The legislation will require the National Science Foundation to increase its funding of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program with the goal of increasing the number of math and science teachers by up to 10,000 per year. The Noyce program provides scholarships to math, science, technology, and engineering students who commit to becoming teachers upon graduation. The legislation passed with a vote of 389-22.
• Teaching Evolution/Intelligent Design
  • Nothing posted to date

Energy

• Fuel Economy Standards
  • See discussion of CLEAN Energy Act under Renewable Energy section.
• Nuclear Power
  • Nothing posted to date
• Renewable Energy
  • 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 Kuhl 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 Kuhl voted against 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 Kuhl voted against 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 Kuhl voted for the amendment, which was adopted with a vote of 220 to 190.

Press Releases on Energy

• On June 6, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote of support for H.R. 632, the H-Prize Act of 2007, which advances the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies.
• On May 26, 2006, Con€gressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote of support for the FY 2007 Energy & Water Appropriations Act, which included funding for research on biomass energy, solar energy, and hydrogen, and energy savings programs for the federal government.
• On May 23, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote of support for H.R. 1252, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act, which prosecutes and penalize those that artificially elevate the price of oil or energy sources.
• On May 23, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his introduction of H.R. 2448, the Gas Price Relief Bill to cut the federal gasoline tax when the national average price of gas reaches $3.00 per gallon.
• On June 5, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support of H.R .1716 the Green Energy Education Act of 2007, which funds the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program to support graduate education related to green energy projects.
• On June 6, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support for H.R. 632, the H-Prize Act of 2007, which creates a prize to advance the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies.
• On June 6, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support for H.R. 1716, the Green Energy Education Act of 2007, which funds the integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program to support graduate education related to green energy projects.
• On July 17, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote of support for the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008, which funds civil water works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers and invests in renewable energy programs that reduce greenhouse gases.
• On July 17, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote of support for H.R. 2641, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes funding for civil water works projects and investments in renewable energy projects.
• On October 16, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support of the 25 by 25 resolution, which sets the goal of the United States that, not later than January 1, 2025, at least 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the U.S. should come from homegrown renewable sources.
• On December 17, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support for the energy bill, which increases fuel mileage requirements for automobile and reduces energy consumption by requiring improved efficiency standards for lighting, commercial and government buildings, and household appliances.
• On December 18, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support for H.R. 6, the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007, which increases the production of clean renewable fuels; increases the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles and promotes research on and deploys greenhouse gas capture and storage options.
• On April 18, 2008, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing a Department of Energy Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $7 million in federal funding for advanced research and development in converting non-food based biomass to advance clean and affordable biofuels.
• On April 25, 2008, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing that he had been chosen to give the weekly GOP Radio Address on Gas Prices.

Environment

• On April 22, 2008, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing a statement on Earth Day encouraging his constituents to take part in the 6 Degrees of Energy Efficiency Challenge, which encourages them to take the small steps that will make a big difference for our planet and reduce energy consumption.
• On November 6, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his vote in support of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes flood control, navigation, and environmental projects.
• On March 9, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support of H.R. 720, the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007 providing low interest loans to governmental entities for vital clean water and non-point source pollution control projects.
• On March 8, 2007, Congressman John Kuhl issued a press release announcing his support of H.R. 700, the Healthy Communities Water Supply Act, which funds a pilot program for alternative water source projects, such as water reclamation, reuse and conservation.

Climate Change

• Nothing posted to date

Health

• Healthcare
  • 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 Kuhl 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 Kuhl voted for this legislation.
• Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • In April of 2007, Congress passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), which would have overturned President Bush's ban on the use of federal funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001. Representative Kuhl voted against the legislation. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 247-176 and the Senate with a vote of 63-34. President Bush vetoed both this legislation and an identical bill that was passed by Congress in 2006.
• 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 Kuhl voted for this bill. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 431-1 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
• 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 Kuhl voted against 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 Kuhl voted against 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 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 Kuhl voted against this legislation.

Innovation

• On August 9, 2007, President Bush signed the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act (H.R. 2272) into law. The law authorizes the doubling of funding for the National Science Foundation over the next seven years, increased funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and competitive grants for teachers and schools with the goal of strengthening the quality of education in science, math, and critical foreign languages. The bill was passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and was agreed to by a vote of 367-57 by the House after being reconciled in a conference committee. Representative Kuhl voted for this legislation. The America COMPETES Act was not fully funded in 2008.

Research and Research Management

• Funding
  • In May of 2007, Representative Kuhl 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 Kuhl voted against the Sullivan amendment and voted against the Honda Amendment.

Technology

• • 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 Kuhl voted for this legislation.