A bipartisan chemistry caucus created in the House of Representatives last year has been expanded to the Senate
The US Senate has established a new chemistry caucus that will provide a bipartisan forum for senators to address topics related to chemistry, and to safeguard the country’s chemical industry. Major goals of the new forum include highlighting the importance of science in policymaking, promoting efforts to encourage chemical manufacturing and further developing the pipeline of new chemists in the US.
The House of Representatives launched its own chemistry caucus in September 2016, and its expansion to the Senate was made public on 28 March. Senator Chris Coons – a chemistry major in college – said the new caucus will enable the Senate to ‘promote science in policymaking and encourage businesses to take the scientific advancements chemistry yields and bring them to the marketplace’. Another leader of the chemistry caucus is Senator Steve Daines, who is the only chemical engineer in Congress.
‘Establishment of this bicameral caucus will serve as an important forum for pro-innovation, pro-chemistry lawmakers to advance the chemistry enterprise,’ said Thomas Connelly, the American Chemical Society’s executive director and CEO. ‘Never have policies and legislation focused on investments in research and development, job creation, economic growth, and US global competitiveness been more crucial to the success of the country.’
Calvin Dooley, the American Chemistry Council’s president and CEO, said these House and Senate caucuses have come at a very critical time or American chemical manufacturing. ‘Reversing a long trend, our industry is experiencing historic growth here in the US that is having a very positive effect on domestic investment and adding jobs to our economy,’ he stated.
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