Berkeley Lab Government & Community Relations

Federal Government Relations

Berkeley Lab has been a critical part of the United States federal research ecosystem since its founding in 1931. Throughout its history, the Lab has maintained close and productive relationships with policymakers in the Administration and in the Congress. From providing expert testimony and other input on scientific research and development, to educating Members of Congress, Congressional Staff, and White House officials about cutting edge science, Berkeley Lab actively responds to policymakers' requests for information.

For more information contact Jonathan Nurse, Director of Federal Relations , or Clarissa Bhargava, Assistant Director of Federal Relations.

Recent Hearings and Special Events

Hearing: The Science of Extreme Event Attribution

Dr. Michael Wehner testifies on climate attribution science, or how climate change is impacting the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, at a November 2023 hearing of the full Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Hearing: Ensuring American Leadership in Microelectronics

Berkeley Lab Director Mike Witherell testifies on microelectronics, "one of the most important economic challenges the nation is facing" at a December 2021 hearing of the full House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Event: Building Climate and Energy Solutions One Atom at a Time

Leaders from the Department of Energy, Congress, Academia, and Industry discuss the importance of fundamental research to achieving climate and clean energy goals

Hearing: The CLEAN Future Act: Driving Decarbonization of the Transportation Sector

Dr. Amol Phadke provides testimony on transportation decarbonization to a May 2021 hearing of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, highlighting opportunities created by "plummeting battery costs, breakthroughs in battery technology, and dramatic declines in clean energy costs."

Hearing: Climate and Energy Science Research at the Department of Energy

At a May 2021 hearing of the Energy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Molecular Foundry Director Kristin Persson testifies on "materials and chemical sciences research within the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program and its essential role in the development of new technologies and training our nation’s scientific workforce."

Hearing: Biological Research at DOE Leveraging DOE's Unique Capabilities to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dr. Mary Maxon, then Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, testifies on the "Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science’s biology research and development enterprise" at a September 2020 hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

LBNL Testimony at Congressional Hearings

Congressional Hearings Archive (2009-Present)

Date: 11/01/2023Hearing: The Science of Extreme Event Attribution: How Climate Change Is Fueling Severe Weather EventsCommittee: Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksWitness: Dr. Michael Wehner, Senior Staff Scientist

Date: 12/02/2021Hearing: Ensuring American Leadership in MicroelectronicsCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Michael Witherell, Laboratory Director

Date: 05/05/2021Hearing: The CLEAN Future Act: Driving Decarbonization of the TransportationCommittee: U.S. House Energy & Commerce CommitteeWitness: Dr. Amol Phadke, Staff Scientist and Deputy of the International Energy Analysis Department, Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Date: 05/04/2021Hearing: Climate and Energy Science Research at the Department of EnergyCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Kristin Persson, Director, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Date: 09/11/2020Hearing: Biological Research at the Department of Energy: Leveraging DOE’s Unique Capabilities to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic Committee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences

Date: 11/22/2019Hearing: The Future of Advanced Carbon Capture Research and DevelopmentCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Jeffrey Long, Faculty Senior Scientist and Professor UC Berkeley

Date: 09/25/2018Hearing: Full Committee Hearing to Examine DOE's Efforts in the Field of Quantum Information ScienceCommittee: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesWitness: Dr. Irfan Siddiqi, Director of Berkeley Quantum

Date: 07/12/2018Hearing: Big Data Challenges and Advanced Computing SolutionsCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Kathy Yelick, Associate Laboratory Director for Computing Sciences

Date: 03/14/2018Hearing: National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science Committee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences

Date: 12/08/2015Hearing: The Future of Biotechnology: Solutions for Energy, Agriculture and Manufacturing Committee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences

Date: 07/14/2014Hearing: Policies to Spur Innovative Medical Breakthroughs from Laboratories to PatientsCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce Witness: Dr. Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute

Date: 06/10/2014Hearing: A Review of P5: The U.S. Vision for Particle Physics after Discovery of the Higgs Boson Committee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Natalie Roe, Physics Division Director

Date: 11/06/2013Hearing: America COMPETES: Science and the U.S. Economy Committee: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationWitness: Dr. Saul Perlmutter, Senior Scientist and Professor UC Berkeley

Date: 10/30/2013Hearing: Providing the Tools for Scientific Discovery and Basic Energy Research: The Department of Energy Science Mission Committee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Horst Simon, Deputy Laboratory Director

Date: 09/23/2010Briefing: Extreme Weather in a Warming WorldCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global WarmingWitness: Dr. Michael Wehner, Staff Scientist

Date: 05/27/2010Hearing: Effects of Developments in Synthetic GenomicsCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and CommerceWitness: Dr. Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute

Date: 09/10/2009Hearing: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Hearing - Biological Research for Energy and Medical Applications at the Department of Energy Office of ScienceCommittee: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space & Technology Witness: Dr. Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute

Federal Science Policy and Budget Resources

American Institute of Physics - Policy

American Association for the Advancement of Science - Federal Science Budget Analysis

University of California Federal Government Relations