118th Congress: Profile of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee

Now that the fight over who will serve as Speaker of the House has been settled, Congressional committees are starting to take shape, albeit later than originally planned.

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) has been chosen to serve as chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; Lucas served as Ranking Member in the last Congress. In a press release, Lucas stated his hope to continue working in a bipartisanship manner with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat. Lofgren replaces Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) who retired at the end of the last Congress.

However, not all of Lucas’ stated priorities for the Committee will gel with those of the Democrats. Among his priorities for this year are: “securing our supply chain for advanced technologies, renewing our leadership in space and aeronautics, researching ways to make American energy cleaner and more affordable, and combating the threats we face from the Chinese Communist Party.” We also expect to see several hearings this year seeking to conduct oversight of science and technology investments made in recent years, such as implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act and the new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate at the National Science Foundation. According to the Lucas press release: “We will also conduct critical oversight on the billions and billions of dollars the Democratic-led Congress and Administration have poured into our agencies over the last two years, to hold them accountable and ensure taxpayer dollars are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.”

With the appointment of Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren, other Members of Congress are being assigned to the committee. Some Republican members have been named, although there are still vacant seats to be filled. Democrats have not yet released their roster. Once the Committee is populated, hearings are expected to begin.