OTA

FY26 OTA Final Letter

By Gabriel Duffany, 7/1/25 On June 22, 2025, Republican proposals to slash Government Accountability Office (GAO) funding by 49% were approved by the House Appropriations Committee, sparking widespread concern for the future of U.S. science and technology (S&T) legislation. Among it’s duties as a government watchdog agency, GAO is tasked with producing detailed reports to … Read more

Background – Office of Technology Assessment In the 1960s, members of Congress became increasingly aware of the rising importance new technologies played in our society and recognized their responsibility to be better informed about the impact of emerging technologies. Spurred on by skyrocketing federal budget requests for new military technology1 and a NASA budget that … Read more

1. What is the OTA? Created in 1972, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was an office available to members of Congress that published reports on new technologies and their potential ramifications on U.S. public or government interests.1 The OTA’s express purpose was to serve the Legislative branch as an independent, bipartisan commission disseminating pertinent … Read more