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From:      "Janice Smith" <VP.APS@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: What's New for 11-06-92

WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 6 November 1992                Washington, DC

1. WHAT ANTI-INCUMBENT VOTE?  TURNOVER IN CONGRESS ABOUT AVERAGE.
But in the House, the big changes are on committees that affect
science.  George Brown (D-CA), chair of the Science, Space, and
Technology Committee returns, but 9 of the 33 Democrats on the
Committee and 5 of the 20 Republicans will not.  Among those
defeated was Don Ritter (R-PA), a metallurgy professor in real
life and the only PhD scientist in Congress.  The only scientist
in the freshman class will be Ted Strickland (D-OH), a psychology
professor (stop rolling your eyes like that!).  But it is the
Appropriations Committee that will undergo the greatest upheaval
with 19 departures.  Jamie Whitten (D-MS), the rickety chair of
appropriations, who first came to Congress during the ice age,
was reelected. But last June, Whitten relinquished control of the
Committee to William Natcher (D-KY) because of health, and it is
likely that he will be replaced.  David Obey (D-WI) seems ready
to challenge him.  The ranking minority member, Joseph McDade
(R-PA), who is under indictment, is also likely to be deposed--or
worse.  Out of the 9 members of the VA/HUD/IA Subcommittee, 5
won't be returning; that includes the chair, Bob Traxler (D-MI),
who retired.  Louis Stokes (D-OH) is in line to replace Traxler
as chair, but on that committee, anything could happen.

2. BY COMPARISON, THINGS LOOK PRETTY TRANQUIL OVER IN THE SENATE.
The departure of Al Gore seems to be the only big change.  He
won't officially resign his Senate seat until the electoral vote
is counted; his replacement in the Senate will be appointed by
the Governor of Tennessee.  Gore currently chairs the Science,
Technology and Space Subcommittee.  Next in line to chair the
Subcommittee is Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), if he wants the job.  It
could be important to science when re-authorization of NSF comes
up in the next session.  The Labor and Human Resources Committee,
chaired by Ted Kennedy, also claims jurisdiction over NSF.  The
debate is expected to focus on the proposed redirection of NSF.

3. THE COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF NSF HOLDS ITS FINAL MEETING
tomorrow.  A letter to the Commission from the NSF Advisory
Committee on Physics (WN 30 Oct 92) points out that declining
support of university research even now threatens a critical link
in technology transfer.  The mission of NSF to promote basic
research and education, the letter says, "cannot be jeopardized.
NSF cannot take on greater responsibilities without a concomitant
increase in funding."  Meanwhile, according to an article in
Nature, Allan Bromley, the lame-duck White House Science Advisor,
contends the charge to the Commission goes outside the National
Science Board's domain of responsibility.  The original charter
of the NSB envisioned oversight of all government science policy,
but the Board has always confined itself to the NSF.  If it wants
to go beyond that now, it will find the territory has been
occupied--by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the
White House.  The Commission report is due on 20 November.



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