Appropriations Action: DOD, DOE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE:
The House, on June 24, passed H.R. 4103, the National Security Appropriations bill for FY 1999, which provides funding for the Department of Defense. The House Appropriations Committee completed its work on the bill on June 17. The details provided below are from the Appropriations Committee report (H. Report 105-591) which accompanies the bill, and from information provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is not yet known whether any changes to research funding were made on the House floor.
Details of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s action on DOD research funding for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense-wide programs are provided in FYI #89
As they did last year, House appropriators ignored President Clinton’s request for an increase in DOD’s basic research (6.1) funding, and recommended essentially flat funding. For applied research (6.2), the Committee would increase funding above both the FY 1998 level and the President’s request. For Advanced Technology Development (6.3), the Committee would provide less than FY 1998 funding, but a greater amount than requested.
BASIC RESEARCH: President Clinton requested a total of $1,111 million, compared with FY 1998 funding of $1,042 million. Senate appropriators have recommended $1,105 million. House appropriators would provide $1,046 million, barely more than current funding. The report contains the following explanation: “The Department of Defense requested $1,111,227,000 for basic research in fiscal year 1999, an increase of $69,338,000 or seven percent compared to the current fiscal year 1998 level. While the Committee supports the need for the Defense Department to conduct a robust basic university research program, in the context of the overall fiscal year 1999 defense budget such funding growth is unwarranted. As in past years, this year’s budget submission included large unfunded shortfalls in training and readiness accounts. Each of the service chiefs identified major funding shortfalls in funding for operations, readiness, and modernization accounts, many of which are addressed by the Committee elsewhere in this report. In this context, the Committee continues to question whether budget growth in basic research is warranted. The Committee recommends reductions to the requested amounts for basic research funding to maintain this program at the 1998 level.”
APPLIED RESEARCH: The request was $3,020 million, compared to FY 1998 funding of $2,996 million. Senate appropriators recommended $3,093 million; House appropriators would provide $3,134 million.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: The request was $3,050 million; FY 1998 funding was $3,762 million. Senate appropriators recommended $3,378 million; House appropriators recommended $3,230 million.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
Both the House and Senate approved versions of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill for FY 1999, the Senate on June 18 and the House on June 22. (See FYIs #88