Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin is one of nine members of Congress named a 2020 Champion of Science by The Science Coalition.
TSC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization comprised of over 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research institutions dedicated to sustaining and showcasing the relationship between the federal government and scientific research in America, according to their website.
Each year, TSC chooses Champions of Science who, through their votes and actions in Congress, show a dedication to the scientific community, according to the coalition’s website.
In a statement released by the University of Wisconsin News, Chancellor Rebecca Blank lauded Baldwin’s support of science, especially at UW.
“We appreciate Senator Baldwin’s continued support of fundamental scientific research, which helps advance the work of the many students, researchers and professors at UW–Madison,” Blank said. “Through her leadership, she has shown the importance of investments in research, science and innovation to state’s economy.”
UW and Marquette University, the only two Wisconsin schools in TSC, both nominated Baldwin, according to the news release. TSC also named one other Senator and six Representatives as Champions of Science in 2020, according to their website.
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Sen. Baldwin sits on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and she is a ranking member on the Sub-committee of Science, Oceans, Fisheries and Weather, according to the senate website. This sub-committee oversees the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In June 2019, Sen. Baldwin helped Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Illinois, introduce the “American Cures Act” which would increase annual research spending by 5% at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense Health Program and Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program, according to NPR Milwaukee.
According to her website, Baldwin grew up in Madison before getting her undergraduate at Smith College in Massachusetts. She returned to get her law degree from UW’s Law School and started her political career on the Dane County Board of Supervisors.
TSC has selected over 100 Congress members as Champions of Science since being founded in 1999. Baldwin joins former Rep. David Obey as the only two Wisconsinites honored with the title.
