American Chemical Society partners to launch Senate Congressional Caucus

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2017 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) is proud to host “The Positive Impact of Chemistry on the Economy,” an event marking the expansion of the Congressional Chemistry Caucus to the Senate. The Congressional Chemistry Caucus was launched last year in the House of Representatives. A partnership between ACS, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), the event highlights chemistry’s crucial role in the U.S. economy.

“ACS and its members are excited to join with our colleagues from ACC and NACD in celebrating a bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Chemistry Caucus,” says ACS Executive Director and CEO Thomas Connelly Jr., Ph.D. “An influential alliance such as the Chemistry Caucus, working together to help advance balanced policies to grow the chemistry enterprise, has never been more needed than right now.”

At this evening’s event, caucus cosponsors Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) and Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.) will make remarks. A.N. Sreeram, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief technology officer of the Dow Chemical Company, will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers will include Congressmen John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Daniel W. Lipinski, Ph.D. (D-Ill.), cosponsors of the House of Representatives Chemistry Caucus; ACS’ Connelly; ACC CEO Calvin M. Dooley; and NACD President Eric R. Byer.

“On behalf of ACS and its over 157,000 members, I am pleased to offer our sincere thanks to Senators Capito, Daines, Coons and Peters for expanding the Chemistry Caucus to the Senate,” Connelly says. “We are also proud to be working with ACC and NACD to help increase the membership and impact of this important caucus.”

In addition to the cosponsors, the Senate component of the Congressional Chemistry Caucus includes John N. Boozman (R-Ark.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) with membership expected to increase as the caucus establishes itself. On the House side, the chemistry caucus, which was launched in April 2016, now has nearly 40 new members.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.