A Word from the Hill. (November 24, 2006)

US Congressman "Sherry" Boehlert , baseball in hand, at Antarctica

 Over the the last six years Republican Sherwood Boehlert has served as chair of the US House of Representatives  Science Committee. This week he gave  Science a long interview in which he explained that when a scientist meets a representative he better get his message across pretty quick smart and much of that message should be why is it of immediate benefit, "you have to appeal to the interests of the audience that you're dealing with. To talk about some great advance in pure scientific terms isn't enough. What does it do to strengthen the economy, or enhance competitiveness, or provide more jobs?"

So what are the credentials for the congressman who will retire from the chair of the science committee come January 20, 2007. "[A] bachelor's degree in public relations and no science background, yet I ended up on the science committee. And I say that's the perfect place for me because I ask the obvious questions: Why can't we do this? Why won't this work? I make them think in more practical terms."

In short just waxing eloquent about the wonders of discovery in basic research doesn't cut it with Sherwood Boehlert. On the other hand sounding like a huckster isn't a good move.

Perhaps the most important advice Boehlert has for the scientists who want to have a positive influence with their political representatives came toward the end of his Q &A session with Science:

Q: If you became a lobbyist, with professional societies as your clients, what would you tell them to do, and where would you take them?
Of course I would come to the Hill, and to the Science Committee, and to the appropriations committees. But I'd also tell them to get their people back home to come here. Because a person from North Dakota coming to see a congressman from upstate New York is not nearly as persuasive as someone from his district.

Q: What science agencies are most effective at getting their message across, and how do they do it? For example, does it work when the National Science Foundation invites legislators and their staffs to Antarctica?
You're damn right it does. Because there's no substitute for kicking the tires. I've had two trips to Antarctica, and in the last one [January 2006], I was part of a bipartisan group of 10 members. Of that 10, there were probably two who shared my view that global climate change was real and that we damn well better do something about it. The rest were sceptical or neutral. But after we got back, every one of them had a heightened interest in the subject.
        Why? Because down at the South Pole, they heard from scientists about how their experiments related to global climate change. The same thing happened at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where we heard how this great treasure was being damaged because of something called global change. And the next time there's a floor vote on the budget of some science agency supporting research on climate change--and I won't be around--I'll bet that this group will be a more receptive audience because they've seen it firsthand.
        What are we supposed to do--sit in our offices and read these reports? Like hell. We need to get out in the field and see the facilities. McMurdo Station is not a place I'd suggest as a vacation spot. But we spent 5 days on the ice, and we learned a lot.

Q: Over your career, which science agency heads were the best at getting their message across?
One of the best is Mike Griffin, the current NASA administrator. He understands his audience. I don't need a translator to deal with him, even though I'm a generalist and he's a distinguished scientist.
        Former NSF Director] Erich Bloch is another, without question. In each case, they clearly know their stuff. They know how to make their argument and explain why it's deeply and intensely important to them in a way that is important to the nation. It doesn't do any good if the intended recipient doesn't understand what you're talking about and is looking at their watch, wondering about their next appointment. … To this day, when people think of the ideal NSF director, Erich is who they talk about.