Hickenlooper — a former geologist — will oversee federal science policy, NASA, & legislation impacting Colorado’s $15 billion aerospace industry
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced today that he will chair the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Science and Space. The subcommittee, which is new for the 117th Congress, is responsible for legislation and oversight of national and civil space policy; science, technology, and engineering; math research, development, and policy; and standards and measurement. It is also responsible for overseeing a number of agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Colorado has the second-largest aerospace economy in the nation. Over 400 Colorado-based aerospace companies employ roughly 200,000 people and contribute $15 billion to the state’s economy each year.
“As a former geologist, I’m excited to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Science and Space — you might even say we’re over the moon,” said Hickenlooper. “Done properly, science helps us observe the world around us and use those observations to plan a better future. It’s a key ingredient for getting the pandemic under control and building our clean energy economy. In Colorado, our aerospace industry is one of the top economic drivers, employing around 200,000 people. If we can land on Mars, even bigger things are close at hand. Colorado will play a leading role in making those big things a reality.”
In addition to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Hickenlooper also serves on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.