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Public Policy Tag Definition: Relates to Public Policy, agencies, budgets, Congress, etc.

AAS Issues Statement on President Obama's Proposed FY 2013 Budget

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) today issued a statement thanking President Obama for his strong support of science as embodied in his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2013 but asking him and the Congress to strive harder to maintain a balance of small, medium, and large space missions in astronomy and astrophysics, planetary science, and solar physics. Some provisions of the President’s FY 2013 budget, especially a 20 percent cut in NASA’s planetary science funding, threaten to undermine the recommendations of recent decadal surveys of these fields by the National Academy of Sciences.

Opposition to the Grant Reform and New Transparency (GRANT) Act of 2011 (H.R. 3433)

Endorsed on: January 30, 2012

The Coalition for National Science Funding writes in opposition to the Grant Reform and New Transparency (GRANT) Act of 2011 (H.R. 3433) because as written this bill could have unintended adverse effects on the continued development of the scientific and engineering research enterprise and compromise the U.S. innovation system.

Important Message from NSF Division of Astronomical Science

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM NSF DIVISION of ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCES

[forwarded by the Society on behalf of NSF]

The last day for community input to the AST Division's Portfolio Review is Tuesday, 31 January 2012. We strongly encourage all interested members of the community to become informed about the review process, by making use of the materials posted on the Portfolio Review web page, http://www.nsf.gov/mps/ast/ast_portfolio_review.jsp.

Resolution Relating to the Ongoing NSF-AST Portfolio Review

Kevin B. Marvel, Executive Officer

The AAS has issued a resolution relating to the ongoing NSF-AST Portfolio Review.

Approved by the AAS Executive Committee on 2 January 2012, the statement supports the concept of the NSF-AST Portfolio Review and highlights its importance for enabling the Decadal Survey priorities.

The full statement is available on the AAS Resolutions page: http://aas.org/governance/resolutions.php#NSFPort

Mailed 5 January 2012

Local Visits

Local visits with your member of Congress can have a more profound impact then visiting them at Capitol Hill. A local visit with your member of Congress is when you schedule an appointment with him or her during Congressional recess when they are back in their state. Please consider scheduling a meeting with your member of Congress.

President Elmegreen Testifies Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies

Subject: President Elmegreen Testifies Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies

Kevin B. Marvel, Executive Officer & Bethany Johns, John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow

The AAS regularly provides testimony to Congressional committees that have direct impact on astronomy and astrophysics. Typically, this testimony takes the form of submitted written remarks, which are considered by the committees as they pursue their legislative activities.

Communicating With Washington

Staff on Capitol Hill, the White House, and Congress often lament that they do not hear enough from scientists and researchers who depend on federally funded research on the importance of science and their research to the Nation. The challenge is to make communicating with Washington a part of every scientist’s professional and academic career. The American Astronomical Society rises to the challenge by starting a new initiative called Communicating With Washington.

Recent Policy Activity on James Webb Space Telescope and Pu-238

Subject: Recent Policy Activity on James Webb Space Telescope and Pu-238

Bethany Johns, John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow and Kevin B. Marvel, Executive Officer

Summary

Two important FY 2012 appropriations bills for astronomy and astrophysics have been working their way through the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill:

House Approved Energy and Water Funding Bill for Fiscal Year 2012 (H.R. 2354) on July 15, 2011, which provides annual funding for Dept. of Energy Office of Science and Nuclear Energy.

AAS Releases Statement on Proposed Cancellation of the James Webb Space Telescope

AAS Informational Email 2011-08

Subject: AAS Releases Statement on Proposed Cancellation of the James Webb Space Telescope

Kevin B. Marvel, Executive Officer

The AAS Executive Committee has released the following statement related to the proposed cancellation of the James Web Space Telescope.

American Astronomical Society Statement on the James Webb Space Telescope
Adopted 7 July 2011

AAS Issues Statement on Proposed Cancellation of James Webb Space Telescope

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) today issued a strong statement protesting yesterday’s proposal from the House Appropriations Committee to cancel the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Hubble’s successor and the centerpiece of U.S. space astronomy for the next two decades. “The proposed cancellation of JWST is a bad idea,” says AAS Executive Officer Dr. Kevin B. Marvel. “Several billion dollars have already been spent developing new cutting-edge technology, and the last thing the American people want is for Congress to throw good money away. The U.S. will rightly be proud of the accomplishments of JWST, but first we need to finish it and launch it.”

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