[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1702-E1703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          DIGITAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 18, 2013

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, as a scientist, I know firsthand how important 
scientific conferences and meetings are. I opposed H.R. 2061, the 
Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, because it would cut by 30 
percent the amount of travel federal employees could undertake for 
conferences, meetings, and other crucial events.
  Although I appreciate the sponsors' efforts to ensure oversight on 
travel expenditures, I suspect they fail to realize the impact that 
this legislation would have on the progress of science and technology. 
Scientific conferences play a key role in American innovation. The 
informal conversations, formal presentations, and everything else that 
goes on between scientists from different institutions and different 
countries lead to new collaborations that have the promise of new 
discoveries.
  Just about any scientific society in this country can give you 
examples where large numbers of federally sponsored researchers have 
teamed up to tackle pressing issues of our day at a conference. To give 
just one example, the American Chemical Society and the American 
Physical Society have stated that the development of an anti-cancer 
drug was the result of collaboration between a team of scientists from 
three laboratories that took place at one of these conferences.
  We justifiably invest in federal research efforts, and we should 
ensure that we maximize that investment. When we deny federal 
scientists and researchers the ability to travel and collaborate with 
their peers, we leave them and our country with a diminished ability to 
make the most of that investment.
  This affects not only scientists, of course. It is important for all 
federal employees to meet with their fellow professionals. If any of my 
colleagues wonder why face-to-face meetings are important, I would ask, 
why did they vote for House rules that require all of our votes to be 
taken in person here in the House of Representatives?
  While H.R. 2061 takes some laudable attempts to increase 
transparency, it will undoubtedly stifle scientific collaboration, and 
thus I cannot support it.

[[Page E1703]]



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