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
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) announced that they led 37 Members of Congress in expressing their concern with the recent firing of 168 workers at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
In a letter to President Trump and NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Members wrote:
Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement:
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Well-Informed, Scientific, & Efficient (WISE) Government Act to better equip federal agencies with the scientific literature necessary to make well-informed policy decisions. This legislation would require the U.S.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster issued the following statement after the release of the Bipartisan House Task Force Report on Artificial Intelligence:
“As a PhD physicist and chip designer who first programmed neural networks at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the 1990s, I’ve been tracking the exponential growth of AI capabilities for decades, and I’m pleased Congress is beginning to take action on this issue.
“The concept of digital IDs is relatively straightforward”: so says a piece in Nextgov/FCW, covering fresh legislative efforts to win the government a larger role in developing digital identity ecosystems. Congressman Bill Foster, D-Ill., wants the Improving Digital Identity Act included in the House AI Task Force’s list of recommended policy proposals. The proposed legislation calls for the use of “consent-based digital identity solutions” to enable Americans to prove their identity online.
As a growing number of states embrace the use of mobile driver’s licenses, lawmakers are once again looking to move legislation that would give the government more of a role in the development of digital identity ecosystems.
Washington, DC – Today, the bipartisan National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, introduced by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Congressman Max Miller (R-OH), passed out of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program Reauthorization Act.
This legislation reauthorizes the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through Fiscal Year 2029, providing critical funding for the program to continue its research into how to mitigate the injuries and property damage caused by windstorms. It also directs the program to develop and implement new standards to make housing and infrastructure more resilient, and to study the impacts of climate change on windstorms.
A major government-backed quantum research project in Illinois will test the limits of quantum computing — and also how much America is willing to invest in a still very experimental technology.
The diversion of funds from the Transportation Security Administration is harming its adoption of advanced security screening technologies, including facial biometrics, several House lawmakers told Nextgov/FCW.
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, Congress created the TSA and authorized the agency to charge travelers a tax — commonly known as the 9/11 security fee — to help fund its operations.