SSA Goes to Washington

doi:10.1785/gssrl.80.2.187

The opening lines of the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities sum up the past few years: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” These have indeed been the best and worst of times, as Planet Earth has demonstrated just how dynamic and volatile life here can be.

Catastrophic natural disasters such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and tsunami and the 2008 Wenchuan, China, earthquake, as well as a host of hurricanes, floods, and other natural hazards, devastated global and local economies and the quality of life for many individuals. In addition to natural disasters, the escalating global financial crisis is wreaking havoc on world economies. In the United States, unprecedented federal and state budget deficits threaten many of the programs that the Seismological Society of America has championed through the years.

We can be proactive about the things we do. This includes making sure that SSA’s message is heard and understood by policy makers and public officials, both nationally and globally.

But it’s not all bad. The past few years have seen tremendous growth, not only in earthquake science and engineering but in public education and awareness of earthquakes and other natural hazards. The observance of the centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake reminded us of how far seismology and the SSA have come in the past century. The success of the “Great Southern California Shake Out”—the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history—and a revitalized National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) have given us much to be enthused about. It also highlights that there is much more to be done.

Often it seems that the best we can do is react to situations as they unfold before us. Certainly there isn’t anything that individuals can do to affect the credit and financial issues around the world, and there isn’t much we can do to stop a natural disaster from occurring. But there are things we can control. We can be proactive about the things we do. This includes making sure that SSA’s message is heard and understood by policy makers and public officials, both nationally and globally. In the United States we need to engage in public advocacy and lobby Congress and other local elected officials. As citizens it is our right to petition the government; it is our duty to ensure our government is aware of the needs and opinions of its constituents; and it is our professional responsibility to implement the SSA Objectives that can be found inside both the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America and Seismological Research Letters.

SSA’s public policy activities include educating legislators, policy makers, and our own members on issues that affect earthquake science and engineering; issuing position statements on seismological matters; and providing testimony before congressional committees. SSA’s Government Relations Committee and government relations firm, Federal Affairs Office, play important roles in this process. During this past year, the Government Relations Committee worked closely with the SSA Board of Directors to develop the SSA Public Policy Summary (http://www.seismosoc.org/society/government/position_statements_summary.php). This process provided an opportunity for SSA to clarify its own positions on a number of topics as well as to provide a consistent set of talking points for members when communicating with decision makers about issues important to science and public safety. The Public Policy Summary is intended to be a living document that will evolve as issues emerge and SSA’s positions are further defined.

The changeable nature of the U.S. political process requires that any group or organization involved in public policy must closely monitor developments on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. This is especially important during a presidential transition. The November 2008 election resulted in a significant shift in political power from the Republicans to the Democrats not only in the White House but in the Senate and House of Representatives as well. As part of the transition process, new members of Congress and the executive branch, as well as their staff, will need to be educated about key seismic and public safety issues. There is also a recognized need to shift the way organizations interact with those in power. There is now greater emphasis on coalition building, grassroots advocacy, and more collaborative efforts among similar-minded groups. The concept of “access lobbying”—advocacy based on the ability to spend large sums of money or use previous connections with key members and congressional and executive branch staff to get access to the seats of power—is going to decline. In its place will be coalitions based on issues and not party affiliations.

SSA has already been engaging in this kind of coalition building and education in a number of ways. We have formal affiliations with professional societies such as the Geological Society of America, the American Geological Institute, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and we seek collaboration with groups such as Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, and the European Seismological Commission. With the assistance of the Federal Affairs Office in Washington, DC, SSA is also an active participant in several focused alliances within U.S. professional groups including the United States Geological Survey Coalition, the NEHRP Coalition, the Hazards Caucus Alliance, and the Coalition for the National Science Foundation. These groups share common ground with SSA on certain issues. By banding together on common issues we are able to have a greater impact on Congress. Through these groups, SSA can amplify its support for the necessary funding to enable the NEHRP agencies to meet their stated goals.¹ Examples include support for full funding of earthquake programs such as the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), the Global Seismographic Network (GSN), and EarthScope, as well as the external grants programs within several federal agencies. In addition to support for funding, SSA also collaborates with other scientific groups on public policy issues, as evidenced by its joint position statement with the American Geophysical Union on the seismic verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. Other examples can be found at http://www.seismosoc.org/society/government/.

There is now greater emphasis on coalition building, grassroots advocacy, and more collaborative efforts among similar-minded groups. The concept of “access lobbying”—advocacy based on the ability to spend large sums of money or use previous connections with key members and congressional and executive branch staff to get access to the seats of power—is going to decline.

One of the most significant earthquake policy activities in the United States during the next year will be the reauthorization of NEHRP. The current authorization, which expires 30 September 2009, enacted several major changes to the program, including the transition of lead agency for NEHRP from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the creation of an Interagency Coordination Committee (ICC). The ICC consists of the four NEHRP agency directors and representatives of the Office of Management and Budget and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. These changes have provided a new, high level of cooperation and a well-coordinated strategic plan (http://www.nehrp.gov). SSA’s Government Relations Committee and the SSA Executive Committee already have met with many of the key players in NEHRP and will meet with them again as congressional leaders write the legislation to extend NEHRP. We have listened to the needs of the NEHRP agencies, the needs of the professionals implementing NEHRP, and the needs of the end-users in the field. We are working with all interested parties to ensure that the next iteration of NEHRP accurately reflects the current and anticipated future environments for earthquake science and public safety and that the progress and momentum made over the years—especially the past five years—is not slowed or lost.

SSA already has created a number of ways for members to stay abreast of developments. These include the “News and Announcements” page on the SSA Web site, http://www.seismosoc.org/news/index.php, and the e-mail list serve for government activities, http://www.seismosoc.org/society/government/actionlist.php. In September 2008, SSA co-sponsored and participated in the first Geosciences Congressional Visits Day (see http://www.seismosoc.org/news/newsitem.php?id=i200809282 or the “News Notes” column in Seismological Research Letters Volume 79, Number 3, page 379.). This event will be repeated in September 2009, and SSA members will be invited to participate. In addition, SRL will feature an occasional column entitled “DC Currents” that will provide updates and briefings on the NEHRP reauthorization and other key legislative issues that affect the SSA and its members. Budget information for federal agencies that have external earthquake programs (like the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation), briefing opportunities, and congressional hearings will also be included.

As NEHRP enters its fourth decade and SSA begins its second century, the times ahead promise to be exciting and challenging for the world and, more specifically, for the field of seismology. Now is the time to bring to bear the collective voices of our profession. SSA strives to provide its members with the necessary tools to speak to officials and policy makers in the United States and around the world. We need elected leaders who are well-educated on the seismic issues facing the nation and the world to ensure the continued success and future growth of valuable government-funded earthquake programs. The Government Relations Committee is committed to keeping SSA members informed about pertinent legislation and actionable opportunities to extend our message. Together we can affect change at every level— local, national, global—to protect our communities, our nation, and our world. 

Stuart Nishenko, Chairman
SSA Government Relations Committee
spn3 [at] pge [dot] com

Elizabeth Duffy
Federal Affairs Office
eduffy [at] federalaffairs [dot] com

 

1. The four NEHRP agencies are: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); the National Science Foundation (NSF); and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).