Scientists & Engineers for America

Mark Udall


Mark Udall
D-CO


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Biography

UDALL, Mark, (son of Morris K. Udall; cousin of Thomas Udall; nephew of Stewart Lee Udall; cousin of Gordon H. Smith), a Representative from Colorado; born in Tucson, Pima County, Ariz., July 18, 1950; graduated from Canyon del Oro High School, Tucson, Ariz., 1968; B.A., Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., 1972; field coordinator, Morris K. Udall for President, 1974; executive director, Colorado Outward Bound School, 1985-1995; member of the Colorado state house of representatives, 1996-1998; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1999-present).

Election Update

Sen. Udall was elected in 2008 to serve in the 111th Congress.

Committees

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 Mark Udall 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?
I believe that strong investment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) research and education is necessary for our economic security - and the U.S. is falling behind. I cosponsored the America COMPETES Act last year that will, among other things, increase funding for the nation’s science agencies and teacher recruitment and training, and am now working to fully fund it. Also, I am co-chair of the STEM Education Caucus, which raises awareness about STEM issues in Congress.

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?
Our climate is changing and human activity is contributing to it. I believe that we must pass legislation to limit carbon emissions. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 620, the Climate Stewardship Act of 2007, which would create a cap-and-trade system to lower carbon emissions. We must put all options on the table, including energy efficiency, conservation, and increasing fuel economy standards, to address this challenge. And we must continue to invest in science to better understand our climate system. I authored the Global Change Research and Data Act of 2007 (H.R. 906) to update and reorient federal climate change research.

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?
I support a comprehensive energy plan that includes responsible onshore and offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, fast-tracking renewable energy sources, expanding nuclear power, and expediting new vehicles that can run on fuel cells, natural gas and electricity. My energy plan will lower gas prices in the short term and set us on a course towards energy independence. If done right, we can solve our current energy crisis in a way that improves national security, creates new jobs, and revitalizes our economy. You can find full details of my plan on my website, www.markudall.com.

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?
As mentioned above, I am a leader on STEM Education issues in Congress. I have worked to increase student opportunities in math and science, increase the number and quality of math and science teachers, and help improve science facilities in our schools. I believe that a nation that invests in educating its students in STEM subjects will see a return in economic prosperity and global leadership. This must be a national priority.

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?
Water is a vital resource in Colorado and I continue to work to address issues of drought, water use, and water conservation. In 2006, I helped create the National Integrated Drought Information System to coordinate federal research efforts on drought. Recently, I have worked to see that water used in energy production can be reclaimed.

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 a Member of the House Science & Technology Committee and representing one of the country’s premiere research universities, I understand the critical role that basic research plays in our future economic competitiveness. I am – and will continue to be - a strong supporter of federal support for basic research, including at the National Science Foundation.

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?
Research and development have and will always play a critical role in improving the quality of our health care, as well as making it more affordable and easier to manage. I supported doubling the budget for the National Institutes of health and continue to support more funding for NIH because of the important role they play in improving health and health care. I believe stem cell research has promise for treating diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer, and it should be expanded. Also, better use of technology for health care records can reduce administrative costs and reduce the overall cost of health care, while at the same time giving doctors more time with patients.

MARK UDALL'S RECORD ON SCIENCE

Contents

[edit] Education

[edit] Energy

  • 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. Senator Udall 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. Senator Udall 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, Senator Udall 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. Senator Udall voted for the amendment, which was adopted with a vote of 220 to 190.
  • Off Shore Drilling
    • On September 16, 2008 the House passed H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act. This act allows oil and gas leasing in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf Planning Area that are more than 50 miles from the coastline and establishes a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewable Reserve. Senator Udall voted for this legislation. This legislation was passed with a vote of 236 to 189.
    • At a campaign stop in Colorado in August of 2008, Representative Udall spoke of his support for renewable energy, saying "My focus will be to get a new energy policy in place, to not only look at oil and coal but to take a good look at nuclear and other efficiencies. In Colorado, we are poised to be the leader in renewable energy. That’s our future. . .That’s why I have such a sense of urgency in getting a renewable energy policy (adopted).” He also spoke of the need to increase the research and development of petroleum, give companies tax incentives to stay here, retain our foreign work force, and invest in our students [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 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
    • 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 683: to eliminate what Coburn considers to be "frivolous" projects and
    • Amendment 677: to require an annual report on the total size and cost of federal property.
The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 77-20 on March 19, 2009. Senator Udall voted for this bill. It passed the House on March 25 and was signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009.
  • On January 15, 2009, the Senate passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (S. 22). 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. The Senate voted 73 to 21 to pass S. 22. Senator Udall voted for this bill. The bill then moved to the House where it failed passage on March 11, 2009.
    • On February 6, 2008, Udall and the entire Colorado delegation introduced H.R.5241, the Colorado Forest Insect Emergency Response Act of 2008. This bill seeks to "amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to take expedited action to reduce the increased risk of severe wildfires to Colorado communities, water supplies, and infrastructure in or near forested areas most severely affected by infestations of bark beetles and other insects, and for other purposes." The bill is currently in subcommittee and no vote has been taken.[2]

[edit] Climate Change

  • Nothing posted to date

[edit] Health

  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • Healthcare
    • Template:Vote-FamilyPreventionTobaccoControlAct2009
    • 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. After the House of Representatives passed the bill on January 14, the Senate voted 66-32 to pass it on January 29, 2009. Senator Udall voted for this bill. 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. Senator Udall 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. Senator Udall 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). Senator Udall 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. Senator Udall 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. Senator Udall 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." Senator Udall voted for this bill. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 431-1 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

[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.

      H.R. 1 passed the House of Representatives on February 13th and the Senate by a vote of 60-38 on February 13th. Senator Udall voted for this bill.
  • COMPETES Act

[edit] Research and Research Management

  • Aerospace
    • The House Committee on Science and Technology's subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics have passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2008 (H.R.6063) without amendment, introduced by Representative Udall. The bill is yet to be passed by the House. The bill would provide renewal of funding for the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for the fiscal year 2009. The bill would increase the NASA budget by $1.6 billion. Additionally, it will increase funding for NASA's Aeronautics R&D programs by $407 million, for them to reach a more mature state.
  • Funding
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • In May of 2007, Senator Udall 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.

      Senator Udall voted against the Sullivan amendment and voted for the Honda Amendment.

[edit] Technology

  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • On January 29, 2009, the Senate passed the DTV Delay Act (S. 352). The bill will postpone the digital television transition date from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009 and extend the coupon program to allow Americans to be better prepared for the switch. It was passed with unanimous consent by all Senators. The bill then passed in the House on February 4, 2009 and was signed into law (P.L. 111-4) by President Obama on February 11, 2009 .
  • 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. Senator Udall voted for this legislation.

[edit] Endnotes

  1. ↑ Persons, David. "Udall feels urgency to get energy plan in place." The Windsor Beacon. August 21, 2008. http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/WINDSORBEACON/80821017
  2. ↑ H.R.5241, Open Congress, http://74.86.203.130/bill/110-h5241/show
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