Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology issued the following statement today on President Biden’s nomination of Dr. Arati Prabhakar, who previously served as the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), to serve as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP):

“Dr. Prabhakar is an incredibly well-qualified choice to serve as science and technology adviser to the President, a Cabinet-level position. I am also thrilled to note that, if confirmed, she will be the first woman and the first person of color to hold this post – one of the most important scientific leadership positions in the country – a historic moment for representation in a field where that matters so much. Given that Dr. Prabhakar has already been confirmed by the Senate in the past to other important positions of responsibility, I am hopeful that the Senate will move quickly to confirm her in a bipartisan fashion so that she can join the President’s team as Congress and the Administration undertake major steps to revamp national investments in scientific research.”

Beyer, who was then the Vice Ranking Member on the House Science Committee, repeatedly urged former President Trump to fill the OSTP Director position during its historically lengthy vacancy at the beginning of his term.

Congressman Don Beyer represents a Northern Virginia district with the largest number of federal workers – including many agency scientists – of any member of the House. His district is also home to the National Science Foundation, DARPA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others. He is one of the longest-serving members of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and chairs its Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.