Outreach & Initiatives > Science Policy

Letters Signed & Sent

• Funding:

  • ASA supports funding to prepare for decennial census: 4/28/08 - Administration & 4/29/08 - Congress, 9/11/08 - Congress, 12/8/2008; 1/15/09 - Congress, 2/2/09 – Congress, 2/11/09 – Congress; 4/6/2009 – Commerce Secretary Locke; 9/11/09.
  • ASA supports NIH and NCHS and other health budgets: 9/8/08; 5/16/08; 3/18/09 House; 3/18/09 NCHS; September 2009
  • ASA supports science research funding (non-NIH)
    • FY10: President Obama's Budget Request, 4/6/09; Speaker Pelosi, 9/16/09; Senate Leadership, 10/2/09
    • FY09: America COMPETES 9/22/08; America COMPETES 9/22/08 Senate; 9/10/08 NSF letters; 1/23/09 Stimulus Senate; 2/2/09 Stimulus Senate, 2/11/09 Stimulus Congress; 2/11/09 NSF in Stimulus Congress.
    • FY08: 6/3/08 House letter; 6/3/08 Senate letter; 4/16 House; 4/16 Senate; 4/16 President; & 4/7/2008
  • ASA signs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education Coalition letter on funding: February 20, 2009, 7/1/09
  • ASA signs onto letter opposing the diversion NIH/NSF and other federal research funding agency funds for SBIR’s; 6/23/09, 7/7/09

• Policy:

  • ASA signs letters in support of Census Bureau
    • The ASA sent letters to Congresswoman Maloney and Senator Carper in support of H.R. 7069/H.R. 1254 to make the Census Bureau independent and its director’s term a fixed, five-year appointment. Congresswoman Maloney: 12/11/2008, 3/16/09; Senator Carper: 12/11/2008, 3/16/09.
    • Urging quick appointment of Census Director in new administration: 11/14/08; 11/19/08; 2/2/09; 3/10/09
    • ASA supports nomination of Robert M Groves for Census Director: 4/2/09; 4/9/08; and urges quick confirmation, 5/19/09, 6/12/09.
  • Other Statistical Agencies
    • ASA President sends letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan regarding the National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner, 7/1/09, and regarding NCES stature, authority and autonomy, 11/2/09.
    • ASA President sends letter to Attorney General Holder regarding Bureau of Justice Statistics, 5/18/09; and its director 5/12/09; and letter to Senate Judiciary Committee in support of nomination of James P. Lynch for BJS Director, 11/10/09
    • ASA sends letter regarding ramifications of IT consolidation at IRS on IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) Division (April, 2009): Treasury Secretary Geithner; IRS Commissioner Shulman; NEC Director Summers; OMB Director Orszag.
    • ASA sends letter regarding selection of next IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) Division director, 4/15/2009.
  • ASA President signs letter to Senators on consensus view of climate science.
  • ASA Presidents sends letter to OSTP Director Holdren regarding federal statistical agencies, 8/12/09
  • ASA President and Executive Director send letter to University of Central Florida President and Provost regarding proposed closure of statistics department, 7/1/09
  • ASA signs onto letter urging the next President of the United States to appoint a Science Advisor before taking office, 10/31/08
  • ASA signs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education Coalition letter
    • to President Obama on importance of STEM Education, 12/22/08; 5/27/09.
    • offering strategic recommendations for the NSF HER Directorate programs, 10/9/08.
    • thanking Congressional leaders for Higher Education Opportunity Act, 9/10/08; National Service Legislation, 4/27/09.
  • ASA President sends letter in support of the Ehlers-Dodd Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for All Kids (SPEAK) Act, 6/9/09.
  • ASA nominated ASA members for various advisory committees (AC) and positions: NSF MPS AC, NSF EHR AC, NSF SBE Director, National Assessment Governing Board, FDA Science Board, Census Advisory Committee on the Hispanic Population
  • ASA signs onto Science Debate 2008, a grassroots initiative to inject science and technology issues into the presidential campaigns and debates. Spring, 2008.
  • ASA president submits comments on proposed changes to CMS Part D Public Use Files, 9/17/08.
  • ASA endorses H.R. 6314: “Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008”; June 2008. Letter to House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon.
  • ASA joins COSSA and AERA in submitting comments on proposed changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to build the science underlying educational policy and practice. 5/8/2008.
  • ASA joins dozens of groups to sign letter to top officials in the Obama administration urging them to end the federal government’s practice of denying visas to foreign scholars, writers, artists, and activists based on ideology.