At Last -- FY 1996 Funding for NSF, NASA, NIST Secured

Almost seven months after the start of the new fiscal year the President and Congress have - at last - agreed on final FY 1996 appropriations. Today, President Clinton will sign an appropriations measure (H.R. 3019) that includes funding for the National Science Foundation, NASA, and NIST, along with many other federal departments and agencies.

This bill provides NSF $75 million more than it would have received under a mere extension of the now-expired stop-gap funding bill. Research and Related Activities (R&RA) funding is increased by $40 million over what would have otherwise been the case. The administration’s R&RA request was $2,454 million. Congress cut this request by $140 million, or 5.7%, to $2,314 million. The final figure is a modest increase over FY 1995.

All other NSF accounts - Education, Academic Research Facilities, Major Research Equipment, Salaries and Expenses, etc. - were funded at the administration’s original request. Total NSF FY 1996 funding is $3,220 million, compared to the request of $3,360 million.

Commenting on the agreement, NSF Director Neal Lane stated, “I am immensely relieved and pleased...we can now put behind us the distractions and confusion of shutdowns and continuing resolutions, and get on with the business of investing in the nation’s future.”

Under this final version of H.R. 3019, NIST’s Advanced Technology Program budget is $131 million higher than when the House passed the original bill on March 7. Nevertheless, ATP funding drops from $431 million to $221 million, with this appropriation to be used primarily to continue existing ATP projects. While bill language is not yet available, ATP supporters can take heart, since the congressional leadership’s original goal was to eliminate ATP funding.

NASA’s FY 1996 funding declines 3.3% over FY 1995, although it is 1.7 % higher than in the original version of H.R. 3019.

With FY 1996 appropriations finally out of the way, Congress will intensify its deliberations over FY 1997 funding. Next week, the House Budget Committee is scheduled to begin work on the FY 1997 Budget Resolution -- a blueprint setting over-all spending and taxing plans for the coming fiscal year.

Said NSF Director Neal Lane upon news of a final FY 1996 appropriation for his agency: “While today’s news is positive, the long-term funding outlook for science and engineering remains questionable. We must continue to demonstrate, to Congress and to the American people, that a strong investment in science is a must if the U.S. hopes to remain a world leader in science and engineering.”