Oklahoma Rep. Optimistic About Work Of Science Committee

In a yr when divided authorities and bitter partisanship are anticipated to maintain Congress, as an entire, from getting a lot achieved, one Oklahoma congressman is predicting simply the alternative for the committee he now chairs.

With Republicans gaining the bulk within the House, Oklahoma’s Frank Lucas is now chair of the Science, Space and Technology committee.

“I tell my new members, this is the fun committee,” Rep. Lucas (R-OK3) stated in an interview final week. “It’s not screaming about what happened yesterday or last week, or 160 days ago, it’s what we do to put the pieces in place to make, through research, a dramatic difference in peoples’ lives five years, 50 years, 150 years from now.”

Lucas says, for probably the most half, the problems the committee takes on are nonpartisan and thus usually are seen by members, particularly during times of bitter partisanship, as a uncommon alternative to be productive.

One of the brand new members on the committee is the controversial new congressman from New York, Rep. George Santos, who is being referred to as on by Democrats in Congress and Republicans in his residence state to resign for mendacity throughout the marketing campaign about vital facets of his life and his household. Lucas says there’s nothing he can do about it — he was lawfully elected and the steering committee positioned him on Science.

“I’ve worked with interesting, challenging, sometimes complicated members before on my various committees,” Lucas noticed, “we’ll see how this unfolds.”

What he expects to unfold, Lucas says, is critically essential work on laws to reauthorize NOAA, the company with jurisdiction over the National Weather Service, and to reauthorize NASA because it strikes nearer to returning to the Moon.

“I want to continue the space program, I want the National Weather Service to continue to protect us,” Rep. Lucas stated, “so we’re going to work very intensely to get those programs authorized.”

Lucas says the committee additionally has essential oversight duty, specifically, for the implementation of the $280 billion Chips and Science Act that he helped put collectively and which was handed into regulation in 2022.

“A lot of money was appropriated, so we’re going to make sure, through oversight, that that money was correctly and wisely spent,” Lucas acknowledged.

While different committees probably concentrate on political agendas the following two years, Lucas says, Science will keep on with…science.

“This is going to be a rancorous, loud, shrill session of Congress,” Lucas stated, “but the Science committee, where we don’t fight by political label…don’t be surprised if we’re not one of the most productive committees.”