Promise and Peril: Physics Bill Nearing Vote on House Floor

Within the next few days the full House should consider H.R. 4908, the Hydrogen, Fusion, and High Energy and Nuclear Physics Research Act of 1994. H.R. 4908 is a combination of earlier fusion, high energy, and nuclear physics authorization bills.

Looming over the bill is an amendment which Rep. Bob Walker (R-PA) is expected to offer. If approved, the Walker amendment would cap the authorization levels of the DOE’s General Science and Research Activities and its Energy Supply Research and Development Activities. This cap of $4.29 billion for the years FY 1995 through FY 1999 would result, according to one estimate, in a cut each year of 3-6% in buying power for these Activities as compared to comparable levels in the FY 1995 DOE appropriations bill.

There was a flurry of activity surrounding these bills in the last few days. Last Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on fusion to receive testimony from DOE and other witnesses about the status of the fusion program, its outlook, and comments on a bill running along the lines of Senate-passed S. 646. Two goals are identified in the House bill: a demonstration fusion reactor by 2010, and production of commercial fusion power by 2040. A Program Director for Alternative Fusion Research would be established, and a review required by the National Academy of Sciences. ITER and TPX language is included, as well as authorization levels. Associate Director for Fusion Energy, N. Anne Davies, said DOE generally supports this legislation.

The next day, August 3, the full House science committee marked-up the fusion bill and H.R. 4684, the DOE High Energy and Nuclear Physics Authorization Act of 1994 (see FYIs #104, 105 and 115.) Chairman George Brown (D-CA) moved this mark up very rapidly, saying that he wanted to get this bill passed by the House and then on to a conference with Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA). Referring to Johnston’s sometimes reluctance to pass authorization bills, Brown said the committee should “accept the open hand of Mr. Johnston.” The mark up of the bills went quickly, with the committee finally voting to combine the text of the fusion and physics bills into a new bill, now called H.R. 4908.

The result is a authorization bill establishing federal policy for DOE’s fusion, high energy physics, nuclear physics, and hydrogen research programs. It also establishes authorization levels. It is important to remember that these levels give DOE permission to spend, but not the actual funding itself (this being contained in appropriations bills.) It is these authorization levels that Rep. Walker wants to cap through his amendment to be offered on the House floor. Amendments to cut spending are popular in Congress, especially with freshman representatives wanting to demonstrate their desire to control the deficit.

The vote on the Walker Amendment to cap authorization levels in H.R. 4908, the Hydrogen, Fusion and High Energy and Nuclear Physics Research Act of 1994, is expected within the next few days. The telephone number for the U.S. House of Representatives is 202-224-3121.