Chu, Jackson confirmed as Congress puts its stamp on science, energy issues

In President Obama’s cabinet, a number of high-level positions related to the science community were approved this week. Steven Chu was confirmed as Secretary of Energy on Tuesday, hours after the new president was sworn in. Lisa Jackson, former head of New Jersey’s environmental agency, was confirmed late Thursday as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency after Wyoming Republican John Barrasso lifted his objection in the Senate. Barrasso was objecting to the fact that Carol Browner, the head of the new White House energy and climate change office, does not need confirmation by the Senate, and he wanted to know whether Browner would be accountable to Congress. In her confirmation hearing, Jackson promised to move quickly toward setting a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions, something the previous administration had refused to do.

On Friday, Michael Griffin thanked the NASA staff for their work; he was not asked by the Obama administration to stay on in a temporary capacity . Deputy Administrator Shana Dale also resigned, leaving Associate Administrator Chris Scolese to run the agency until a successor is picked.

Dave Noble, who worked in Obama’s presidential campaign to get out the vote, will serve as the White House liaison to NASA.

The House Committee on Science and Technology confirmed on Wednesday that Representative Pete Olson (R-TX) will be the ranking Republican on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. House Democrats of the Committee on Science and Technology have met and chose subcommittee chairs and select subcommittee assignments . Olson will be joined by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who will be the newly appointed chair of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), who was elected chair of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, aimed to push for additional science funding. “As a former political science professor, mechanical engineer, and recipient of NSF funding when I was a graduate student,” he said, “I understand the critical importance of providing support for research.”

The selections will be officially approved 28 January.

Funding bill

Meanwhile the $850 billion stimulus package that contains a number of funding proposals for science and renewable energy turned into a partisan battle on Thursday as House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee tried and failed (17-34) to include more funding for nuclear energy, clean coal technology, and more market-oriented approaches , says CNET news editor Stephanie Condon . The bill will allocate $25 billion to renewable energy and biofuel products.

Paul Guinnessy