[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXVI, Issue 24

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXVI, Issue 24
Apr.07,2019

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Table of Contents

1. Action Requested - Advocacy for the New Bill on Space Weather

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Announcement Submission Website: http://goo.gl/forms/qjcm4dDr4g


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Action Requested - Advocacy for the New Bill on Space Weather

From: Paul Cassak (Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu)

Who? - You, if you are in a district or state with a US Representative on the House science committee (see list below, especially the names marked with an asterisk)!  Community members of all research areas and career stages are needed, from sun to mud and from senior to student.  

What? - We are asking the SPA community for help in educating the new Congress about space weather and to help support the bi-partisan space weather bill recently introduced into the Senate (S. 881 - https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s881). 

When? - Now!  The Senate just introduced the bill into committee, and the House has not yet followed suit.  We would like to see the House introduce the bill and support it, as well.  Please do so in the next couple of weeks (by mid- to late- April).

Where? - From the comfort of your office or living room!  Emails and phone calls are sufficient for this action. 

Why? - The bill is extremely well-written from an objective standpoint on improving space weather readiness and infrastructure for the nation.  Moreover, it includes support of basic research for space weather science and for missions relevant to space weather, so it is good for our community.  The SPA Advocacy Committee strongly endorses this bill and asks for your help in encouraging the House to take it up and support it. The House science committee has many members that are new to the science committee (the names with an asterisk in the list below) that are likely unaware of what space weather is and about helio/geospace sciences, so it is our job to educate them!  No one else will do this for us; even a 15-minute time investment could have a significant impact!

How? - First, call the office of the representative from your state on the list below, and ask for the name/email/phone of the staffer in the office who works on issues for the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.  Then call or email this person, telling them that Senate Bill 881 on space weather has been introduced with bi-partisan support, and you want to inform them of the importance of space weather to the country and to your state/district.  Share with them basic information about space weather (assuming they are a 22-year old political science major with no physics/engineering background).  Share with them information about how your research links to space weather and why your research is important to your district/state (jobs, if your region has relevant industry, etc.).  Finally, share that you encourage the House to take up S. 881, and that the space physics/space weather community broadly is in support of this bi-partisan bill.  Thank them for their time, and ensure they have your contact information if they have any questions.  Send an email to them to follow up to say thanks for the conversation and email someone on the SPA Advocacy Committee (addresses below) to let us know you did it.  That’s it!

Please let someone on the SPA Advocacy Committee know if you have any questions or concerns (Paul Cassak <Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu>, Dan Baker <Dan.Baker at lasp.colorado.edu>, Harlan Spence <spence at guero.sr.unh.edu>, Gordon Emslie <gordon.emslie at wku.edu>, Sarah Vines <sarah.k.vines at gmail.com>, Ian Cohen <icohen121 at gmail.com>, and TBD).  Thanks for your short time investment on behalf of the community.  (P.S. - The SPA Advocacy Committee will soon have a follow-up email introducing the community to the new committee members - stay tuned.)

US Representatives on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology:

Democrat:
• Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas, Chair
• Zoe Lofgren, California
• Dan Lipinski, Illinois
• Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
• Ami Bera, California, Vice Chair
• Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania
• Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, Texas (*)
• Haley Stevens, Michigan (*)
• Kendra Horn, Oklahoma (*)
• Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey
• Brad Sherman, California (*)
• Steve Cohen, Tennessee (*)
• Jerry McNerney, California
• Ed Perlmutter, Colorado
• Paul Tonko, New York
• Bill Foster, Illinois
• Don Beyer, Virginia (*)
• Charlie Crist, Florida
• Sean Casten, Illinois (*)
• Katie Hill, California (*)
• Ben McAdams, Utah (*)
• Jennifer Wexton, Virginia (*)

Republican:
• Frank Lucas, Oklahoma, Ranking Member
• Mo Brooks, Alabama
• Bill Posey, Florida
• Randy Weber, Texas
• Brian Babin, Texas
• Andy Biggs, Arizona
• Roger Marshall, Kansas
• Neal Dunn, Florida
• Ralph Norman, South Carolina
• Michael Cloud, Texas (*)
• Troy Balderson, Ohio (*)
• Pete Olson, Texas (*)
• Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio (*)
• Michael Waltz, Florida (*)
• Jim Baird, Indiana (*)


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SPA Newsletter Editorial Team: Peter Chi (Editor), Guan Le (Co-Editor), Sharon Uy, Marjorie Sowmendran, Todd King, and Kevin Addison

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