House Science Committee Chairman Walker Looks Ahead
As the first one hundred days of the 104th Congress concluded, House Science Committee Chairman Robert Walker (R-PA) held a half-hour briefing to both look back and ahead. Judging from the chairman’s remarks, the next few months are going to be very significant for the science community.
When Congress reconvenes it will start work on legislation funding all government operations. In the past, authorizing committees such as the House Science Committee played a secondary role in this process. That should change, Walker said, under a new plan advanced by the House leadership. Under this plan, the House Budget Committee will give the Science Committee a “budget,” which Walker will divide among the four subcommittees. The subcommittees will then divide their share between the agencies and programs under their jurisdiction by passing authorization bills. These bills will set program guidelines and contain spending caps. Authorizing bills will be voted on separately by the House, or may be combined into one all-inclusive bill. Walker has talked to Rep. George Brown (D-CA) and the Administration about this approach, and said, “I think they will be supportive.” This process is to occur in May so as to work in concert with the appropriations process, which provides actual funding.
The dual track approach is going to have a varying effect on science and technology programs. Walker said that the Budget Committee is unlikely to look with favor on the Advanced Technology Program, and so would not include provision for it in the Science Committee’s budget. If the Technology Subcommittee authorizes ATP, there will be no recourse but to shift money from something else under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction. Walker was asked about the National Science Foundation’s FY 1996 budget, and while saying that he was favorably inclined towards its support of basic science, said, “I’m not going to get into specifics.” Walker intends to move a separate authorization bill for the space station providing $2.1 billion for each of the next six years through its completion. This multi-year legislation will “ensure that the resources can be obtained,” and provide a level of confidence to the appropriations committees, industry, and international partners. When asked to predict the bill’s success, Walker said, “we feel pretty good about the ability to move it.”
Also discussed was the formation of a new Department of Science encompassing NSF, NASA, portions of DOE, NIST, and other science-related agencies (although not DOD R&D or NIH.) Walker said impetus for this new department would be “if the Budget Committee decides this is one of the ways we can deal with the elimination of other agencies,” such as DOE and Commerce. Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-OH) reportedly strongly favors this approach. House Science Committee hearings would be held about the formation of a Department of Science, Walker added.
Walker called “absurd” speculation that science funding will be heavily cut, saying he would use his influence “to see that science is a winner in all categories.” Yet, the science budget will, he admitted, be below this year’s spending.
