Policy News

OGA Appears in Two Articles Covering the Helium Shortage
Two recent announcements concerning the helium shortage appear in the news this month.

APS Responds to Proposed Drastic Cuts to Federal Science Agencies in FY20 Budget
The President’s budget for fiscal year 2020 proposes harmful cuts to federal science agencies – including the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation.

APS Takes Steps to Address its Carbon Footprint
APS is taking steps to address the impact of the emissions from its largest GHG sources, including emissions from member travel to and from select APS national and annual meetings.

APS 5-Sigma Physicist Awardees Honored for Outstanding Advocacy
Recipients of the 5-Sigma award honor demonstrated at least one impactful advocacy action and continued their communication with the APS OGA throughout the year.

Two APS Student Members Lead National Petition Drive to Oppose Congressional Legislation
Two APS student members wrote op-eds highlighting harmful loan provisions in legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.

FY 18 Funding Bill a Win for Science
The diligent work of APS members, coupled with support from the APS Office of Government Affairs (APS OGA), contributed to a tremendous win for science agencies in the fiscal year (FY) 2018 omnibus bill.

APS Responds to Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Budget
APS is grateful for the work of the many members and staff in Congress, and staff at the executive branch agencies, for developing a 2018 federal budget that provides significant support for science.

American Physical Society Responds to President’s Budget Proposal
The President’s 2019 budget request proposes significant cuts from current funding levels for the federal science agencies, including reductions for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Energy (DOE).

Undergraduate Physics Students Meet With Senate Staffer, Promote Potential Research Impacts at DNP Meeting
Undergraduate physics students who attended the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) meeting in Pittsburgh were elated to discuss the potential impacts of their research with a staffer representing U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

Hundreds of Students Contact Senators, Urge Support of Science Research Programs
Nearly 200 undergraduate students from across the country recently contacted 80 U.S. senators, requesting they support science research opportunities for undergraduates, including those funded by the National Science Foundation. The students connected with their senators as part of an advocacy campaign supported by APS and the Society of Physics Students.

APS Response to U.S. Withdrawal from Climate Agreement
The agreement was endorsed by nearly 200 countries as a means to address global climate change.

APS Response to Trump’s Cut to Science
The APS’s Office of Public Affairs (OPA) has taken effective steps to oppose President Trump’s budget proposals by advocating to congressional offices and by working with Society members to write op-eds, engage on social media and meet with congressional staff.

APS Questions for the Presidential Candidates
APS works on behalf of its members, and the physics community at large, to inform policy leaders about the importance of physics and research funding.

The Helium Crisis
Skyrocketing prices for liquid helium — an essential resource for our nation’s healthcare technologies and research enterprise — are placing the U.S. innovation ecosystem at significant risk.

Science and Technology Bear the Brunt of Budget Dysfunction
The House and Senate are on the verge of recessing at the end of September without passing any appropriations bills for the next fiscal year.

The Cato Institute’s Opposing Views on Science Funding Show the Need for Physics Advocacy
At a briefing on Capitol Hill, the Cato Institute made a case against government support for science, but it actually showed why we need to speak out in favor of that funding.

The Open Access Wrecking Ball
In an age of electronic communication, everyone expects to have access to information on the Web instantly and without using a credit card to get it.

Innovation Pipeline Reception Highlights Ways to Keep America Competitive in 21st Century
During the reception, several speakers addressed strategies for strengthening the innovator pipeline.

Clearer Grant Titles Can Help Ward Off Funding Critics
Grant titles have come under fire from some members of Congress who say the scientists’ research is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

APS Office of Public Affairs Interns: A Little Recycling Goes a Long Way
Letter to the Editor authored by two Northern Illinois University undergraduate students

APS President Writes Congress; You Should, Too
The APS President has done his part, and it’s time to do yours.

Gravitational Waves Ripple Through House Science Committee
Observations during the LIGO House Science Committee hearing reveal attitudes toward federal funding for science and the associated impacts of LIGO's discovery.

Budget Deal Could Put Science Back on World Stage
First published in The Hill on November 18, 2015

APS Welcomes New STEM-Ed Fellow
APS is excited to welcome Ramon Barthelemy, the 2015 APS/AIP STEM-Ed Fellow, who will be working on STEM programs in the U.S. Department of Education.

Comprehensive Senate Energy Bill Approved by Committee
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 with bipartisan support (18-4 vote).

ASEE Board Recognizes Physics as Vital to Engineering Education
Engineering, which relies on the fundamental principles of physics, provides a rewarding career pathway and is a vital cog in America’s innovation economy.

DCMP Chair-Elect Promotes APS Helium Initiatives at Congressional Hearing
Halperin was joined by four other witnesses who testified during the subcommittee’s July 8 oversight hearing on The Helium Stewardship Act and the Path Forward.

Wonder and Awe for Cheap: New Horizons
Three billion miles and nine-and-a-half years ago, NASA launched the New Horizons spacecraft to explore our solar system.

APS President Testifies on DHS S&T; Recommends Changes
APS President Sam Aronson testified today before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee on the lack of transparency with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate.

Alabama Students Speak Out About Science Funding
A group of students at University of Alabama-Birmingham recently made a video about the importance of federal science funding and how it is affecting their state.

“Star Trek” Consultant, Science Producer Communicate Value of Science during APS March Meeting
The APS Office of Public Affairs invited two television producers to discuss how popular science-based film can help underscore the value of science.

Mixed News for Science in President's 2016 Budget Request
President Obama's 2016 budget calls for an end to sequestration, but spending emphasizes technical programs, not science.

Innovation in Action: The JWST
APS and a coalition of science policy advocates recently took a trip to NASA Goddard to examine the progress of the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

NSF Sets Gold Standard for Scientific Research Funding
The National Science Foundation — known as the gold standard for scientific research funding throughout the world – has unfairly come under fire by the House Science Committee.

DOE Shows Off its Labs; Sens. Risch and Durbin Announce National Lab Caucus
The Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories are the source of numerous scientific breakthroughs, world-renowned experimental facilities and employers of Nobel Laureates.

America COMPETES 2014: A Much Needed Reauthorization
The Senate recently released a draft bill to increase funding for a variety of national scientific organizations, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and NASA, among others.

Senate COMPETES Reauthorization Bill Introduced Before August Recess
Just before leaving town for the August recess, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced S. 2757, a bill to reauthorize the America COMPETES Act.

Energy Critical Elements and, Well, Gravel
H.R. 1022 introduced by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15th) uses the term “energy critical element,” or ECE, coined by the American Physical Society (APS) and the Materials Research Society (MRS) in their 2011 joint report: “Energy Critical Elements: Securing Materials for Emerging Technologies.”

House Passes Four Science Bills
The House of Representatives passed four bills on July 14 that originated in the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Fiscal Year 2015 Funding Update
Congress received President Obama’s fiscal year 2015 (FY15) budget request on March 4 and has been making steady progress on appropriations bills.

Physics Leaders Discuss Life After Higgs With Congress
While best-known for breakthrough discoveries, such as the Higgs boson, within its own research realm, particle physics contributes broadly across other disciplines and in developing advanced technologies.

Science Agency Directors Make Strong Case for Research and Education During Senate Innovation Hearing
An all-star lineup of science agency directors provided testimony and answered committee members’ questions, communicating the enormous benefits federal investments in scientific research have had on society.

New Budget Deal Reverses a Portion of Sequester Cuts
The budget resolution is a two year agreement that authorizes discretionary spending for fiscal years 2014 (FY14) and 2015 (FY15).

U.S. Sen. Alexander to Congress: ‘Finish the Job’ of Doubling Research Budgets Outlined in America COMPETES
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has rightly called upon his colleagues in Congress to “finish the job” of doubling research budgets set forth in the 2007 America COMPETES Act.

APS President Michael Turner on The Government Shutdown and Impacts on Science
In response to the federal government shutdown, APS President Michael Turner has written a statement for the Record as part of a hearing held Oct. 11 by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Senate Passes Helium Bill: Action by September 30 Deadline Still Not Assured
On September 19, the Senate took an important step forward in voting to pass a substitute amendment to H.R. 527, its version of a helium bill.

Averting the Helium Cliff
Congress has just six legislative days to approve legislation preventing the shutdown of the federal helium reserve operated in Amarillo, Texas by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

STEM Education has a place in immigration reform
Today, APS was one of 62 organizations that signed on to a letter urging the House to make support for STEM education a part of immigration reform.

Commerce/Justice/Science Appropriations Update
The House and Senate Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies recently passed their respective appropriations bills, but they have yet to receive floor votes.

Helium Bills Inch Forward, Passage Not Assured
Efforts by Congress to improve the supply of helium to users, including the scientific community, is inching toward a conclusion after more than a year of intensive efforts by APS and other end users.