DOE FY 1995 Budget Bill Goes to Senate Floor - Nuclear Physics

Beginning as early as today, and continuing through the remainder of the week, the Senate will consider H.R. 4506, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for FY 1995. Accompanying this Senate version of the bill (passed earlier this month by the House) is a committee report. While not having the force of law, these recommendations are the basis for later negotiations with the House Appropriations Committee to resolve differences between the two versions of the bill. Selections from the Senate committee report follow. See FYI #75 for the comparable House report language, which in some instances is identical.

NUCLEAR PHYSICS:

“The Committee recommendation for Nuclear Physics totals $334,741,000. [This is the same amount provided in the House bill, and thus is likely the final figure.]

“The Committee is concerned that the Department’s proposed nuclear physics budget would reduce support of nuclear physics research by 14 percent from $349,000,000 in fiscal year 1994 to $300,841,000 in fiscal year 1995. $49,800,000 of this request would allow the Department to finish construction and commission the continuous electron beam accelerator facility (CEBAF) in the first quarter of fiscal year 1995. The Department, however, requests no funds to operate the facility after it has been commissioned. The Committee is uncomfortable with commissioning a major new facility and then essentially letting it remain idle for the remainder of the year. Thus, the Committee recommends an increase of $8,900,000 from the Department’s request to allow CEBAF to begin operations.

“After investing over $600,000,000 of Federal and State funds to construct CEBAF, the Committee recommends that the facility be funded at a level enabling it to fulfill its intended purpose of conducting nuclear physics research.

“The Committee is very concerned about the Department’s decision to close the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). The premature closure of this facility will significantly reduce the science output of this country and a valuable experimental facility will be lost. The Committee recommendation includes an additional $24,000,000 to continue operations and to enhance the nuclear physics program at Los Alamos.

“In addition, the Committee recommendation provides an additional $1,000,000 to increase significantly the utilization of the Bates Linear Accelerator Center operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These accelerator facilities serve a nationwide community of scientists from over 100 American institutions.”