Bromley prepares for science adviser role

The Senate is expected to quickly approve Yale physicist D. Allan Bromley as President Bush's science adviser after confirmation hearings this Friday before the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. Bromley will be questioned mainly on three topics: global climate change, the U.S.'s decline in technological competitiveness, and the painful budget crunch in federal science and technology programs. To prepare for his job as director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy, Bromley has started assembling his team. He has brought in physicist J. Thomas Ratchford, deputy executive officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as a special part-time assistant. Former AAAS journalist Allan Hammond is serving as a communications consultant. Both are expected to join Bromley full time. In his disclosure file to the committee, Bromley lists his political affiliation as independent. Along with his Yale salary of $133,612, Bromley earned $103,995 last year from three corporate direc...