Policy Blog
The AAS Public Policy team uses the Policy Blog to communicate with the membership about current events in the science policy world. Most policy blog posts are written by the John N. Bahcall Public Policy Fellow.
A New Stewardship Paradigm for Maunakea
22 Aug 2022
In this guest blog post, Chief Scientist of W.M. Keck Observatory John O'Meara explains recently passed legislation in Hawaiʻi establishing a new governance body for Maunakea.
Making the Case for the Future of Astronomy
8 Aug 2022
AAS member Yaswant Devarakonda shares his experiences meeting with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and others as part of an advocacy day based on the JWST image release celebrations.
FY2023 Senate Appropriations and Outlook for Astronomy Funding
30 Jul 2022
In this policy blog post we will discuss the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill from the Senate and briefly compare to the House bills to understand what funding might be available for astronomy in...
AAS Applauds Congress on the Passage of US Competitiveness Legislation
29 Jul 2022
American Astronomical Society (AAS) Executive Officer Kevin B. Marvel today released a statement on the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act.
CHIPS and Science: A Massive Investment in Federal Science
26 Jul 2022
Over the last two years, you may have heard in the news about big legislative packages for funding science. The Endless Frontier Act, America COMPETES, USICA, CHIPS? In this policy blog post, we cover the long road that...
Leveraging JWST’s Success to Advocate for the Future: A Round-Up and Analysis of the Image Release Week
15 Jul 2022
While we were collectively nerding out over JWST images, lots of important science policy work was also taking place. In this policy blog post we discuss the political side of release week events, and what your public...
If You Wish to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch, You Must First Invent the Universe
6 Jul 2022
AAS member Arpita Roy describes her experience at this year's Congressional Visits Day.
House Appropriations at a Crossroads with Decadal Recommendations
29 Jun 2022
On 28 June, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2023 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill on a 31 to 24 vote. This bill is important to AAS members because this legislation funds...
First Step in FY23 Congressional Appropriations Process Complete
22 Jun 2022
In this policy blog post, we take a look at the first congressional appropriations numbers for FY2023, which start with the House. The initial bill release includes top line numbers that give us a sense of what might...
AAS 240 Public Policy-Related Sessions
2 Jun 2022
With AAS 240 just 10 days away, the Public Policy Team is looking forward to returning for our first in-person meeting in two years. This meeting promises to be jam-packed with amazing science content and happy reunions...