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Geoscientists Visit Capitol Hill during Annual Outreach Event

Elizabeth Goldbaum, GSA Science Policy Fellow Susanna Blair. Congressional Science Fellows work for a year as

On 29–30 September 2015, geoscientists from across the nation staff members for members of Congress or congressional
visited Capitol Hill to share their research and voice their concern committees. The fellows shared their experiences and lessons
over fizzling federal support for earth sciences with policymakers learned about effective meetings from their time on the Hill with
from states as diverse as Wyoming, Florida, Texas, and California. the participants.
GSA, along with many fellow geoscience societies (www
.americangeosciences.org/policy/get-involved/events/GEO-CVD), Once participants were up to speed on the latest science policy
organized this, the 8th Annual Geoscience Congressional Visits legislation, they had the opportunity to practice their message
Day (www.geosociety.org/geopolicy/CVD/), or “GeoCVD.” with fellow team members. Each team had between two to five
people and was matched with congressional offices from a state
Established and emerging geoscientists from academia, or pair of states, as well as congressional committees. Teams
industry, and government attended a workshop and reception on came up with strategies to find a local, resonating message to
29 Sept. to welcome and prepare
them to make the most of their visit. bring to Congress that highlighted
The following day they met with geoscience research.
their representatives, senators, their
staffers, and congressional commit- For instance, Annika Deurlington, an
tees in small teams to talk about how undergraduate student at Claremont
strong federal investment in geosci- College who was awarded travel
ence research and education can funding by GSA’s Cordilleran Section,
enhance national security, support told Tom McClintock’s (R-CA) office
resilient communities, sustain a that she appreciated his dedication to
highly skilled workforce, and finding ways to store water and also
strengthen the nation’s global and asked him “to promote groundwater
storage wherever possible,” Deurlington
said in an email.

economic competitiveness. Representatives Who Support
A Crash Course on Current Federally Funded Geoscience
Science Policy Research

During the orientation, organizers GSA Executive Director Vicki McConnell (right) Participants ended their first day on
from the many hosting geoscience presenting Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) Capitol Hill at a reception hosted by the
societies gave participants a refresher USGS Coalition, of which GSA and
on how Congress works, focusing on with the USGS Coalition Leadership Award. other societies are members.
the current status of federal geosci-
ence funding. Kasey White, GSA’s More than 150 people attended the
Director for Geoscience Policy, event, which honored two members for
“their efforts to advance the scientific

spoke about H.R.1806, the “America COMPETES Reauthorization fields that further our understanding of Earth’s living and non-

Act of 2015,” and its stipulations to cut NSF funding for geosci- living systems,” Robert Gropp, the chairman of the USGS

ences, despite increasing overall funding for NSF. White also Coalition and interim co-executive director of the American

detailed cuts to many geoscience research programs at the Institute of Biological Sciences, said in a statement.

Department of Energy contained in the bill. The House passed the GSA Executive Director Vicki McConnell presented
bill back in May 2015. The Senate has been holding roundtables Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) with the USGS
and seeking feedback before releasing a draft bill. Coalition Leadership Award and said that Bonamici “really gets

GSA TODAY | JANUARY 2016 White also discussed the “NASA Authorization Act of 2016 and it” when it comes to the importance of federally funding geosci-

2017 (H.R.2039),” which includes deep authorization cuts to ence. McConnell commended Bonamici for her work on H.R.34,

NASA’s Earth Science Division and cuts to geoscience research in the “Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015,”

the House appropriations bills. which authorizes and strengthens tsunami detection, forecast,

Participants heard from current geoscience congressional warning, research, and mitigation program. In her thanks,

fellows, including GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellow

Editor’s note: This article was previously published on GSA’s blog site, Speaking of Geoscience, https://geosociety.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/mingling-geoscience-
with-public-policy-on-capitol-hill/. Links to more information can be accessed via that post.

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