As I reported last month, President Obama’s campaign has accepted the Science Debate 2012 challenge to address their Top Science Questions. I am now happy to report that Mitt Romney’s campaign has also accepted the challenge 🙂
For your reference, here are the Science Debate questions:
Innovation | Climate Change | Research and the Future | Pandemics and Biosecurity
Education | Energy | Food | Fresh Water | The Internet | Ocean Health
Science in Public Policy | Space | Critical Natural Resources | Vaccination and Public Health
Let us hope these candidates take the time to make it a priority to seriously consider these important issues of science, engineering, technology, and education. Stay tuned to the Science Debate website for the candidates’ responses!
In addition, the folks over at Science Debate have also now launched a Congressional version of their candidate challenge:
House Committee on Science, Space & Technology member Rep. Todd Akin’s recent remarks regarding a woman’s body’s natural ability to “shut that whole thing down” and prevent pregnancy in cases of “legitimate rape” help illustrate why science needs to be a higher priority in the national dialogue when selecting candidates for office.
Working with America’s leading science organizations, we’ve developed the Top American Science Questions: Congressional Edition to help address this need.
Working with us, Scientific American has asked key Members of Congress who have influence over science policy to answer these eight critical questions. So far, only a handful have indicated they will.
If you are a constituent of one of the following Members of Congress, please contact the Member’s office and ask them to respond to the ScienceDebate and Scientific American questionnaire immediately. Be respectful, and tell in your own words why this is important. Ask them to send their responses back to submit@sciam.com.
Thank you!
Senate
Lamar Alexander: Tennessee (R)—ranking member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Barbara Boxer: California (D)—chair, Committee on Environment and Public Works
Jim DeMint: South Carolina (R)—member, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchinson is retiring)
Michael Enzi: Wyoming (R)—ranking member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Dianne Feinstein: California (D)—chair, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Tom Harkin: Iowa (D)—chair, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
James Inhofe: Oklahoma (R)—ranking member, Committee on Environment and Public Works
Mitch McConnell: Kentucky (R)—Senate minority leader
Patty Murray: Washington State (D)—member, Committee on the Budget (Chairman Kent Conrad is retiring)
Lisa Murkowski: Alaska (R)—ranking member, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Harry Reid: Nevada (D)—Senate majority leader
Pat Roberts: Kansas (R)—ranking member, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Jay Rockefeller: West Virginia (D)—chair, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Jeff Sessions: Alabama (R)—ranking member, Committee on the Budget
Debbie Stabenow: Michigan (D)—chair, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Ron Wyden: Oregon (D)—member, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Chairman Jeff Bingaman is retiring)
House of Representatives
Timothy Bishop: New York State–1 (D)—ranking member, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
John Boehner: Ohio–8 (R)—speaker of the House
Scott Garrett: New Jersey–5 (R)—vice chair, Committee on the Budget (Chair Paul Ryan is the Republican vice presidential candidate)
Bob Gibbs: Ohio–18 (R)—chair, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Ralph Hall: Texas–4 (R)—chair, Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Doc Hastings: Washington State–4 (R)—chair, Committee on Natural Resources
Eddie Bernice Johnson: Texas–30 (D)—ranking member, Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Frank Lucas: Oklahoma–3 (R)—chair, Committee on Agriculture; member of Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Edward J. Markey: Massachusetts–7 (D)—ranking member, Committee on Natural Resources
John Mica: Florida–7 (R)—chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Nancy Pelosi: California–8 (D)—House minority leader
The Skeptical Teacher 