Science and Technology
As the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress, I work hard to make sure the scientific perspective has a seat at the table during policy discussions in Washington.
I am proud that our district is home to two world-class research laboratories, Argonne and Fermilab, where I spent 24 years as a high-energy particle physicist. Our national labs are the crown jewels of America’s science infrastructure, and I am proud to support robust funding so they can continue to conduct the research that is critical to addressing the challenges we face.
America must remain the world leader for science research and technological innovation. I was proud to help pass the CHIPS & Science Act, critical legislation to bolster our science infrastructure and promote American scientific and technological leadership for decades to come.
I’m also proud to support funding for increased STEM educational opportunities for students of all ages. It’s important that we open up opportunities for students from all backgrounds in the STEM fields, and I will continue to advocate for those critical resources.
More on Science and Technology
BERKELEY, CA – This week, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) will lead a congressional delegation on a tour of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and SLAC Accelerator Laboratory in California. Foster will be joined by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA).
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. – This week, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and U.S. House of Representatives Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation on a tour of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Foster and Luján will be joined by Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE).
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019:
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced legislation that would boost the growth of a national Fab Lab network. Fab Labs are facilities equipped with a set of tools that allow individuals to create anything using laser cutters, 3D printers, and other digitally controlled machine tools. This set of equipment enables people who have an idea for a new product to rapidly create a prototype.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) and U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) reintroduced the STRONGER Patents Act to protect and support inventors and innovators and ensure that our patent system protects this essential property right. The STRONGER (Support Technology & Research for Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience) Patents Act of 2019 is an improvement on legislation that Coons and Stivers introduced during the last Congress.
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted two amendments offered by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) to support R&D programs important to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the future of U.S. space exploration. Both amendments were adopted into the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, an amendment offered by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) to support funding for the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) project and promote science diplomacy passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of an appropriations package for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act of 2019. The legislation is co-sponsored by Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL), and Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH).
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, announced the creation of a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence chaired by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL).
Daily Herald report
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster will serve as chairman of a newly created task force that will probe how artificial intelligence is affecting how consumers interact with and use financial services.
The Naperville Democrat and particle physicist was named to head the group by Rep. Maxine Waters, who chairs the House Committee on Financial Services.