What you can do

  • March for Science is planning a one-year-anniversary march in Washington, DC, and in locations around the world on April 14, and is also calling for the end of restrictions on gun violence research.

Administration proposes controversial plan to privatize ISS

The Trump administration's FY19 budget proposal, released on February 12, would end federal support for the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024, and the administration now--and controversially--favors fully privatizing its functions. In a February 20 letter to acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot and Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) expressed concerns about the end of support, and are still awaiting details of NASA's transition plan for the ISS. Retired NASA astronaut and ISS veteran Leroy Chiao also slammed the privatization proposal in a February 22 op-ed, citing the importance of the ISS to U.S. leadership in basic space research. Aerospace Industries Association vice president Frank Slater and Boeing space station program manager Mark Mulqueen also weighed in against complete privatization, as did Made In Space CEO Andrew Rush, whose company manufactures 3D printers for use on spacecraft. Although the budget proposal's addendum (which was included in response to the budget deal signed on February 9) restored $300 million to the NASA budget and designated funds for commercial cargo operations, planetary science, facilities upgrades, and the new exploration initiative, it did not specifically mention the ISS.

Net Neutrality battle continues in Congress, the states, and the courts

Net neutrality continues to make headlines as both sides assemble their allies in different arenas. The FCC's repeal of current net neutrality rules was finally published on February 22, and is scheduled to go into effect on April 23. Senator Ed Markey's (D-MA) resolution to overrule the FCC is supported by all Democrats and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME); one more vote is needed for passage. Advocates are aiming at moderate Republicans like John Kennedy (R-LA) and Dean Heller (R-NV), who have expressed support for net neutrality. Attorneys general for 22 states and the District of Columbia, joined by advocacy groups and some Internet companies have filed a lawsuit in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals to protect net neutrality, while some Internet service providers and trade associations support net neutrality repeal.

Meanwhile, Montana Governor Steve Bullock ordered that state contracts for Internet services must abide by net neutrality principles, and that any ISP selling Internet access services to the state government must also adhere to net neutrality in its consumer offerings. Bullock disagrees that this challenges the FCC's claim to preempt state actions. "The beauty of the way we approached it, makes it so the FCC can't stop the state's actions," he wrote as part of a Reddit AMA. "In Montana under the executive order, we aren't regulating the companies. We are simply acting as consumers – saying that if internet providers want to contract with the state, they can't violate net neutrality principles for the state contracts or any other Montanan." Other states are taking similar actions; there is no reply from the FCC as yet.

NSF plans overseas office closures

On February 21, the National Science Foundation announced a plan to close three international offices, and to replace their functions by sending NSF staff on temporary overseas assignments as needed. NSF has recalled the directors of its Brussels and Beijing offices, while its Tokyo office has had no director for the past year. The closures will cut costs – a major Trump administration priority – but leaders of international science programs are slamming the move, pointing out that permanent on-the-ground NSF staff are better situated to support international collaborators and projects. (While overseas NSF offices cost more than $1 million each year to run, this is a small fraction of NSF's FY 2019 budget, recently restored to its 2017 level of $7.5 billion.) The plan would close the affected offices by mid-2018; their staff members have reportedly been offered positions at NSF's headquarters in Alexandria, VA.

Administration considers climate skeptic for top environmental post

The Trump administration is reportedly considering Donald van der Vaart as a potential head of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), where he would become the White House's main advisor on environmental policy. Van der Vaart, previously the secretary of North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, has been openly skeptical of human-caused climate change, but told reporters that he would not support repealing the EPA's endangerment finding, which supports greenhouse-gas regulation. The administration previously rescinded the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White, another climate skeptic, after a disastrous Senate hearing where she was challenged over her previous statements and her qualifications to hold the CEQ post.

Quick takes

  • HHS secretary Alex Azar supports broadening the CDC's ability to research the public health aspects of gun violence.
  • The FCC's Inspector General is investigating whether chairman Ajit Pai proposed rule changes timed to benefit Sinclair Broadcasting.
  • The National Science Foundation issued a directive to grantee institutions, requiring them to report sexual or other harassment findings that involve investigators or other grant personnel.
  • Science has published a list (not comprehensive) of STEM professionals running for Congress this year.
  • Men taking the anti-HIV prophylactic drug Truvada have had difficulty getting affordable disability insurance.
  • A CDC study found that this year's flu vaccine was more effective than expected — especially in children — against the season's dominant A/H3N2 strain.

Have comments or something to add? Contact the RISE Stronger Science & Technology Policy Working Group at [email protected].

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