Appropriations Update
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, NASA:
NSF and NASA dodged reductions in their FY 1996 budgets - at least temporarily - when House and Senate appropriators rejected House sentiment to increase VA medical funding. After deciding that no additional money was available the conference committee sent the bill, H.R. 2099, back to the House floor basically unchanged. Yesterday, the House approved the conference report by a vote of 227-190. Republican leaders won final passage after convincing Republicans who earlier voted against the bill to change their votes. This bill now heads to the Senate.
This bill seems far from final passage, since President Clinton has indicated he will veto it because of cuts in several priority programs. Short term funding for NSF runs out one week from today.
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT:
Yesterday, Congress completed its consideration of H.R. 2076, which contains funding for the Commerce Department, as well as other departments. The vote margin in the Senate was small, the bill passing by 50-48.
Commerce faces the same budget problem as do NSF and NASA. President Clinton warns that he will veto this bill because the $27.3 billion appropriation is almost $4 billion short of his request. Real problems exist because of philosophical differences between the Administration and Congress over technology programs. Short term funding also expires on December 15.
THE OVER-ALL BUDGET SITUATION:
Although Capitol Hill and the White House are geographically one mile apart, they are many more miles apart on striking a final budget deal. After vetoing the balanced budget legislation passed by Congress, the President offered his own plan yesterday. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said this plan “makes a high priority of investing in science and technology to increase economic productivity and raise living standards and the quality of American life. The plan calls for a balanced mix of investments in basic research, applied research, and technology development.” OSTP says the Clinton plan, when compared to the vetoed bill, would increase by unspecified amounts NSF, NASA basic research, the Advanced Technology Program, and other science and technology budgets. Republican leaders rejected this plan because it is, they say, $400 billion short of what is needed to balance the budget by 2002.
Capitol Hill is sending out mixed signals whether a budget agreement must be struck before another short term funding bill is passed. House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) indicates the House may be in session next week-end to pass a short term bill. While statements by congressional leaders indicate some slight movement, White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry said about avoiding a shutdown: “It looks like we are in a really bad, bad place now.”
KEY INDIVIDUALS:
Over the next week a handful of key individuals on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue will be responsible for reaching agreement on a seven-year balanced budget plan. This plan will include the setting the broad parameters of federal science and technology spending. Among these individuals are White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, Office of Management and Budget Director Alice Rivlin, Senators Robert Dole (R-KS), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Tom Daschle (D-SD), and Representatives Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Richard Armey (R-TX), Richard Gephardt (D-MO), John Kasich (R-OH), and Tom DeLay (R-TX).
