Friday, 10 September 1999 Washington, DC

1. CTBT: IS THIS THE BIG PUSH--OR JUST THE BIG NOISE?
Shortly before fleeing Washington's August steam bath, Senate Democrats promised they were about to turn up the heat on Jesse Helms (R-NC) to hold hearings on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which has languished on Helm's desk for two years (WN 23 Jul 99). Helms refuses to hold hearings on CTBT until he has a chance to kill the Kyoto accord and the hated 1972 ABM Treaty. Wednesday, the first day back in session, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), in an impassioned speech, threatened to "plant himself" on the Senate floor and block other Senate business unless CTBT is put on the agenda for consideration this fall. He stopped just short of using the "f" word (that's "filibuster"). Meanwhile, the White House is planning a few media events of its own. Is this the "big push" that's been promised for over a year (WN 12 Jun 98)? No! A key Congressional Democrat confided to WN that it's just theater, but he added that it could get serious by spring. With polls showing strong public support for CTBT, Democrats might prefer to have the issue debated during the election campaign.

2. BUDGET: HOUSE COUNTS ON THE SENATE TO RESTORE SCIENCE FUNDS.
By a vote of 235-187 the almost-leaderless House passed a VA-HUD- Independent Agencies appropriation bill that would cut the White House request for NASA by about $1B and NSF by $285M. The huge NASA cuts would fall heavily on space science programs while leaving the space station untouched. The annual attempt by Tim Roemer (D-IN) to kill the orbiting turkey was easily defeated. Many members who ended up voting for the bill are apparently counting on the Senate to restore funds for NSF and NASA.

3. SPY HYSTERIA: DOE SPELLS OUT ITS PLAN FOR POLYGRAPH EXAMS.
The proposed rule, published in the 18 August Federal Register, states that exams are "voluntary," but that those who decline to be tested could lose their security clearance and be transferred to less sensitive jobs. There will be a series of public hearings next month, at which employees can protest, but Congress will already have passed the Defense Authorization Bill (S.1059) directing the DOE to carry out regular polygraph exams.

4. EVOLUTION: PARENTS OF YOUNG SCIENTIST PROTEST "WATERING DOWN."
Remember Emily Rosa who tested "touch therapists" for a fourth- grade science fair project? She gained nationwide acclaim after her results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (WN 3 Apr 98). Now in the eighth grade, Emily came home one day and announced that her teacher was giving evolution the "it's-JUST-a-theory" treatment. This, it turns out, was in accordance with a local school board decision. According to the Ft. Collins Coloradoan, her parents have protested to the board that teaching watered- down evolution will deprive Emily and her classmates of the background they need to enter a science field.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.