Ron Johnson - Senior Senator for Wisconsin, 2011-2022
Senator Johnson earns our grade of C- for his general lack of support for neuroscience funding, and support for increased scrutiny on the NIH grant review process. His support of reforms to FACA would impose additional bureaucratic requirements on NIH study sections, which the NIH has strongly opposed. We could not find any public statements made by the senator about neuroscience or biomedical funding. As a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation which controls the NSF budget, and the Committee on the Budget, his lack of public support is troubling.
(negative) Support: H.R.1608 - Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2019
Tammy Baldwin - Junior Senator for Wisconsin, 2013-2024
Senator Baldwin receives a grade of an A for her continued support of biomedical funding. As a member of both the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and a member of the NIH caucus, she has influence over both the NSF and NIH budget. In those roles, she has positively advocated for increasing both budgets, and has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation to that effect. She could improve her grade by signing on to more science focused equal-opportunity legislation, and explicitly supporting the continuing funding of the BRAIN initiative.
“As the granddaughter of an NIH-funded scientist, I have long championed strengthening our research enterprise. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to improve opportunities for young researchers”
Co-sponsored: S.1249 - American Innovation Act
Co-sponsored: S. 1250: American Cures Act
Co-sponsored: S.1338 - Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2019
Co-sponsored: S.775 - Scientific Integrity Act
Co-sponsored: S.427 - Autism CARES Act of 2019
Co-sponsored: S.Res.329 - A resolution designating September 2019 as "National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month"
Co-sponsored: S.Res. 29: A resolution expressing support for the designation of a “Women’s Health Research Day”.