Looking Back: Major Science Policy Developments in 1993

Looking back over 1993, here are some of the major science policy developments affecting the physics community:

JANUARY: Hazel O’Leary becomes DOE secretary...John Gibbons confirmed as OSTP director...Walter Massey resigns as NSF director.

FEBRUARY: Administration requests an additional $207 million for current year funding for NSF...House science committee chairman George Brown announces plans for earmarking hearings...GAO predicts difficulty in obtaining foreign SSC funding...Administration releases new technology policy report.

MARCH: GAO releases SSC report, finding it “is over budget and behind schedule” (a phrase to be repeated by SSC critics countless times during the rest of the year)...Administration calls for redesign of space station...White House completes fiscal year 1994 budget request...House appropriations subcommittee hearings start on administration’s budget request.

APRIL: Senate kills administration’s economic stimulus plan including $207 million for NSF.

MAY: Senator J. Bennett Johnston holds hearing on U.S. fusion program, calls for stronger administration support for program...Rep. George Brown starts examination of DOE national labs mission...House appropriations subcommittee finishes work on NSF budget (up 11%) and NASA (providing the space station with $1.85 billion, later increased to $2.1 billion by the House.)

JUNE: House appropriations subcommittee recommends $620 million for SSC...President Clinton selects a “middle-of-the-road” space station design...House votes 280-150 to terminate SSC...House authorizes space station by one vote, later approves actual station funding by 24 votes.

JULY: The President names physicist Neal Lane as the new NSF director...National Science Board issues statement in support of basic research...The President selects Martha Krebs to be director of DOE Office of Energy Research.

AUGUST: DOE announces plans to change SSC management...Brown releases earmarking report...House SSC critics escalate opposition.

SEPTEMBER: DOE review committee identifies “significant cost and schedule risks” in SSC construction...Senate appropriations subcommittee recommends a 9% NSF increase and $1.94 billion for the space station...Senate appropriations subcommittee issues “The Future of NSF” report language, stating “Not less than 60% of the agency’s annual program research activities should be strategic in nature”...Senate approves space station funding...Senate approves SSC funding.

OCTOBER: Work completed on NSF funding bill; funding increases 10% (later rising to 11%)...Congress approves $1.946 billion for space station...Congress slashes AXAF program funding...Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program is terminated...Senate confirms Neal Lane as NSF director...SLAC wins B Factory competition...House SSC opponents force the termination of the collider...Congress provides full DOE fusion energy program funding, full funding for high energy physics, full funding for materials sciences (under basic energy sciences), additional funding over the request for nuclear physics, provides less than the DOE request for the Advanced Neutron Source...NIST receives 35% budget increase

NOVEMBER: Administration proposes joint U.S.-Russian space station...House rejects deficit cutting package which would have established a new Department of Science and cut fusion funding.

DECEMBER: President establishes National Science and Technology Council...U.S. and Russian Federation sign space station agreement.