2024: Schweikert Voted Against Awarding Grants For Research On Privacy-Enhancing Technologies. In April 2024, Schweikert voted against , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill, as amended, that would direct the National Science Foundation to award grants to support research on privacy-enhancing technologies, including algorithms and location tracking, to mitigate individual's privacy risks and improve the privacy of online activity. It would also permit the NSF to issue research awards to support education and workforce training and research on human behavior to help design better privacy solutions, as well as to create freely available privacy-enhancing technology libraries. It would emphasize research on privacy-enhancing technologies as part of NSF's overall computer science research mission. It would require any personal data collected in the course of NSF-funded research to be treated in accordance with federal privacy regulations. It would require the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to report to Congress within three years of the bill's enactment on its progress researching privacy-enhancing technologies and any policy recommendations to improve privacy." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 354 to 36. [House Vote 154, 4/29/24; Congressional Quarterly, 4/29/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4755]
2022: Schweikert Voted To Require The National Science Foundation To Support Privacy-Enhancing Technologies That Diminish Individuals' Privacy Risks Arising From Data Processing. In May 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act, which would "require the National Science Foundation to support research on privacy-enhancing technologies that mitigate individuals' privacy risks arising from data processing by improving data predictability, manageability, dissociability and confidentiality. It would also require the Office of Science and Technology Policy to coordinate with the NSF and other federal agencies to accelerate the development and adoption of such technologies and to report to Congress on related research and development." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 401-19, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. [House Vote 150, 5/11/22; Congressional Quarterly, 5/11/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 847]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Authorizing $81 Billion Through FY 2027 To The National Science Foundation, Including $16.3 Billion For A New NSF Directorate. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against concurring with the Senate amendment to the Chips and Science Act, which would "authorize $81 billion through fiscal 2027 for National Science Foundation activities, including $16.3 billion for a new NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships to encourage research, development and workforce development to support use-inspired and translational research, accelerate the development and use of federally funded research, and accelerate development in key technology focus areas." The vote was on a motion to concur. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote of 243-187, thus the bill was sent to the President. [House Vote 404, 7/28/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4346]
The Bill Required The NSF To Support Climate Change Research And Research On The Technological Impacts On Social And Behavioral Science. According to Congressional Quarterly, "It would require the NSF to support research in a range of new areas, including climate change and the impacts of technology on social and behavioral science." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/22]
The Bill Authorized A National Science Foundation Office To Coordinate Federal Efforts To Research Security And Integrity And Prohibit Federal Research Agencies "From Participating In Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs." According to Congressional Quarterly, "It would authorize a new NSF office to coordinate federal efforts and policies related to research security and integrity and require federal research agencies to adopt policies to prohibit personnel from participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/22]
The Bill Included About $100 Billion In Program Authorizations Over Five Years, Including For The Expansion Of The National Science Foundation And The Establishment Of Regional Technology Hubs To Help Start-Ups. According to The Washington Post, "The bill also includes about $100 billion in authorizations over five years for programs such as expanding the National Science Foundation's work and establishing regional technology hubs to support start-ups in areas of the country that haven't traditionally drawn big funding for tech." [The Washington Post, 7/28/22]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Providing $ $8.8 Billion To The National Science Foundation. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the first portion of the Fiscal 2022 Omnibus Appropriations, which would provide "$24 billion for NASA; and $8.8 billion for the National Science Foundation." The vote was on the motion to concur in the Senate amendment with a House amendment. The bill was divided and this vote was the first portion of the bill. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote of 361-69. After resolving differences, the bill was sent to the President and became law. [House Vote 65, 3/9/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/9/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2471]
2015: Schweikert Voted Against Removing A Provision From An Underlying Bill That Would Allow The National Science Foundation (NSF) To Award Grants Only If It Determines That That Grants Are In The National Interest. In May 2015, Schweikert voted against an amendment that would have removed a provision requiring the NSF to award grants only if the NSF determines that the grant is in the national interest. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have "remove[d] a section of the bill that would allow the National Science Foundation to award new grants only if it determines that the grants are worthy of federal funding and are in the national interest and a written justification for how the grant meets those requirements is published." The underlying bill was H.R. 1806, the America Competes Reauthorization Act, which "authorize[d] $32.9 billion over fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017 for a number of agencies that support scientific research, industrial innovation and certain educational activities." The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 177 to 243. The underlying measure later passed the full House, but the Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 252, 5/20/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/20/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/20/15; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 244; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1806]
2014: Schweikert Voted To Reduce Funding For The National Science Foundation. In April 2014, Schweikert voted for the Republican Study Committee's proposed budget resolution for fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Republican Study Committee's budget, "Reduce Funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF is charged with promoting science and engineering research projects through grant funding. Unfortunately, the NSF has a history of using taxpayer funds on wasteful projects, such as a laundry folding robot, a study of shrimp running on a treadmill, a study of Americans' attitudes towards the U.S. Senate filibuster, and paying for participants' expenses to attend an annual snowmobile competition in Michigan, among other examples. Beginning in FY2015, funding for the NSF should be reduced." The House considered the RSC budget as a substitute amendment to House Republicans' FY 2015 budget resolution; the amendment was rejected by a vote of 133 to 291. [House Vote 175, 4/10/14; Republican Study Committee, 4/7/14; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 615; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 96]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Reauthorizing And Expanding The National Sceince Foundation, Which Would Provide $77.9 Billion Through FY2026, Direct Climate Change Research, Award Grants To Higher Education Institutions And Non-Profits, And Address Diversity In STEM Fields. In June 2021, Schweikert voted against the National Science Foundation for the Future Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "authorize $77.9 billion through fiscal 2026 for existing and new National Science Foundation activities and require a number of NSF actions related to research integrity and STEM workforce development. It would establish a new NSF Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to support research and development that addresses societal challenges such as climate change; global competitiveness in critical technologies; cybersecurity; national security; social and economic inequality; and education and workforce development in science, technology, engineering and math. Among other provisions, it would require the NSF to award grants to higher education institutions or nonprofit organizations to establish national and regional clearinghouses to coordinate STEM research; develop resources to connect new scientific discoveries to practical uses; align STEM education and workforce needs and conduct research on graduate education programs; and improve participation of historically underrepresented groups in STEM. It would require the NSF to maintain an office to coordinate research security and policy across the agency; facilitate public access to NSF-supported projects, including data, software and code; require any grant applicants to submit an ethics statement that specifies any foreseeable or quantifiable risks to society as a result of the proposed research; and appoint a chief diversity officer to establish diversity goals for the agency and advise on issues of diversity in STEM fields. It would authorize $38 million for a pilot program to award grants to help research institutions secure federally funded research data." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 345-67. [House Vote 186, 6/28/21; Congressional Quarterly, 6/28/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2225]
2016: Schweikert Voted To Require The National Science Foundation (NSF) To Only Award Grants If It Is In The "National Interest." In February 2016, Schweikert voted for a bill that would modify how the NSF awards grants. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation would have, "require[d] the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award new grants for basic research and science education only if the foundation determines that the grant promotes the progress of science, is 'worthy' of federal funding, and is in the national interest. To be considered to be in the national interest, the grant would need to potentially enhance economic competitiveness, advance the health or welfare of Americans, develop a STEM workforce, or meet other characteristics specified in the bill. As amended, the bill would specify that computer science and information technology are sectors included in the STEM workforce. Also as amended, the bill would require additional determinations from the NSF that new grants are consistent with established and widely accepted scientific methods applicable to the field of study, and that they are consistent with the definition of basic research within the field of study." The vote was on passage. The House passed the legislation by a vote of 236 to 178. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 70, 2/10/16; Congressional Quarterly, 2/10/16; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3293]