Jeff Flake: “this amendment would prevent $300,000 from funding the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco, California, and…”

“this amendment would prevent $300,000 from funding the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco, California, and reduces the cost of the bill by a consistent amount. Madam Chairman, when I came across this earmark, I decided that I would explore why a successful museum like this would request money from the Federal Government. According to the earmark description in the certification letter submitted to committee, the earmark would fund an initiative to promote professional development for science education teachers. But when my staff and I did research on this earmark, we found that a teacher development program already exists at the museum. According to the museum's Web site, the Teacher Institute trains teachers during the summer sessions, while they participate in a mix of learning experiences designed to help teachers with hands-on activities, inquiry, and strong science content. The institute was founded by numerous corporate sponsors and foundations, including the Noyce Foundation and the Bank of America. All of the teachers who attend the Teacher Institute do so with private support. Again, why is the Federal Government funding an initiative that corporations can and do already fund? The Exploratorium is a science museum that consists of 400 exhibits of art, science and the human perspective. It had over 600,000 visitors just last year. Cost of admission is $14 for adults, $9 for children.”