Clinton Administration Opposes Major Science Authorization Bill

The White House has issued a statement indicating that President Clinton may veto H.R. 2405, the Omnibus Civilian Science Authorization Act of 1995, if it reaches his desk. The House of Representatives is considering the bill today.

In an October 11 statement, Vice President Gore outlines the Administration’s opposition to the legislation:

”...in the name of rigid ideology that ignores the realities of the marketplace, Congress, through this bill, is taking direct aim at federal investments in high-risk, long-term research and development. In particular, this bill effectively eliminates those merit-based, cost-shared efforts such as the Commerce Department’s Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership that bridge the gap between basic research and commercial development of products. The bill also seeks to eliminate or severely restrict the Energy Department’s Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s successful Environmental Technologies Initiative.

“This could not come at a worse time. Public and private sector investment in R&D in the United States has been anemic for more than a decade, while Japan already invests 35 percent more in civilian technology than the United States on a per capita basis; Germany invests 30 percent more. Emerging economic powers -- China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, also are aggressively promoting investment in R&D and deployment of technology.

“This is a foolish choice that, as the President’s balanced budget demonstrates, does not have to be made for any budgetary reason.”

In an accompanying “Statement of Administration Policy,” the following objections are noted:

“H.R. 2405 would cut authorized FY 1996 appropriations for the Nation’s civilian science and technology programs by more than $3 billion below current levels and about $3.3 billion below the President’s FY 1996 Budget. The bill would effectively terminate the Advanced Technology Program.... H.R. 2405 would prohibit the use of funds for 42 programs, projects, and activities of the Department of Energy, including science education activities, laboratory technology transfer programs, and efforts to improve the safety of Soviet-designed nuclear reactors....”

In detailing specific objections to various Titles of H.R. 2405, the Administration states:

TITLE I - NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (see FYI #139): “The FY 1996 authorization of appropriations for the NSF of $3.13 billion is a reduction of $234 million below the President’s Budget request. The reduction will mean that investments in basic research and education will have to be curtailed.”

TITLE II - NASA (see FYI #140): “The FY 1996 authorization of appropriations for NASA of $11.55 billion is a reduction of nearly $600 million from the President’s Budget request. The reduction includes $324 million for the Mission to Planet Earth program, a reduction of 25 percent below the President’s Budget; $35 million for High Performance Computing and Communications, a 50 percent cut; and termination of funding for the Clean Car Initiative and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility. Section 237 would impose onerous reporting and certification requirements on the President and the Government of the Russian Federation. Section 249 would deny NASA needed flexibility in transitioning toward the privatization of the Space Shuttle. Section 252 would interrupt important NASA microgravity sciences research and put at risk astronaut training until a commercial operator is certified and ready to begin operations.”

TITLE III - DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (see FYI #138): “The FY 1996 authorization of appropriations for energy research and development activities of $4.25 billion is $1.2 billion below the President’s Budget, a reduction of more than 21 percent.... Section 309(a) would require the Secretary of Energy to negotiate with a consortium of foreign governments with specific instructions concerning a specified international energy project, the Large Hadron Collider. This would interfere with the President’s constitutional authority to determine whether and when to enter into negotiations, the content of negotiations, and to whom that authority is delegated.”

TITLE IV - NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: “NOAA’s operations would be severely harmed by H.R.. 2405. The bill would cause unnecessary delays in modernization of the National Weather Service and cutting edge research leading to economically sustainable environmental policies. The FY 1996 authorization of appropriations for NOAA operations, research and facilities of $1.69 billion is $405 million below the President’s Budget, a reduction of 19 percent. The bill would reduce NOAA’s satellite funding, thereby increasing the risk of satellite failure and loss of severe weather data. Operations and research funding would be reduced to a level that would cripple NOAA’s ability to maintain efforts to safeguard environmental health and safety.”

TITLE VI - TECHNOLOGY (see FYI #143): “The appropriation authorization levels for the Commerce Department’s civilian technology programs are unacceptable. These levels would gut initiatives essential to U.S. competitiveness. The FY 1996 authorization of appropriations for the entire National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of $338 million is $685 million less than the President’s Budget, a reduction of 67 percent. Such a drastic cut will undermine the NIST labs’ ability to provide the scientific and industrial community with the measurement base essential to industrial competitiveness and public health and safety....”

The Statement of Administration Policy warns:

“If H.R. 2405 were presented to the President in its current form, the Secretaries of Commerce and Energy, the EPA Administrator, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the President’s Science Adviser would recommend that the bill be vetoed because of its unacceptably deep reductions in, and terminations of, Federal investments in science and technology.”