Senate Passes Federal Research Investment Act

In the push leading up to this week’s adjournment, the Senate, earlier this month, passed S. 2217, the Federal Research Investment Act. This action puts the Senate on record in support of a doubling of the authorization for the civilian federal research budget by 2010.

The Senate passed this bill, sponsored by Bill Frist (R-TN), using a legislative mechanism called a unanimous consent agreement. By carefully working out disagreements before going to the floor, senators agree to take up this bill in an expedited manner. Unanimous consent agreements require care, as a single senator can object to a bill being passed this way.

Time constraints were a driving force behind the decision to pass S. 2217 in this manner. The Senate schedule was crowded, and there was not time for debate and a roll call vote. Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) was the only speaker. Among his remarks were the following points:

“Our science and technology base is vital to the nation’s future.” “Advanced technologies are responsible for driving half of our economic growth since World War II, and that growth has developed our economy into the envy of the world. We need to continually refresh our stock of new products and processes that enable good jobs for our citizens in the face of increasing global challenges to all our principal industries.”

Domenici, who is Senate Budget Committee chairman, was an original cosponsor of an earlier bill to double federal research spending over ten years. He explained that the 12-year schedule in S. 2217 “proposes a more realistic time scale for achieving this expanded support. This doubling must be accomplished within a balanced budget that avoids deficits, thus a longer period is a better choice. That balanced budget is essential, it enables the economic health that is fundamental to our ability to really use advanced technologies.”

There continues to be discussion about the role of the federal government in supporting research. Domenici argued that the “bill continues to emphasizes a broad range of research targets, from fundamental and frontier exploration, through pre-competitive engineering research. This emphasis on a spectrum of research maturity is absolutely critical. The nation is not well served by a focus on so-called basic’ research that can open new fields, but then leave those fields wanting for resources to develop these new ideas to a pre-competitive stage applicable to future commercial products and processes.”

Domenici described the approach that the legislation takes by supporting research in all fields: “The new bill addresses a spectrum of research fields with its emphasis on expanding S&T funding in many agencies. We need technical advances in many fields simultaneously. In more and more cases, the best new ideas are not flowing from explorations in a single narrow field, but instead are coming from inter-disciplinary studies that bring experts from diverse fields together for fruitful collaboration. This is especially evident in medical and health fields, where combinations of medical science with many other specialities are critical to the latest health care advances.”

S. 2217 also, Domenici said, “proposes to utilize the National Academy of Science in developing approaches to evaluation of program and project performance. This should lead to better understanding of how GPRA [Government Performance and Results Act] goals and scientific programs can be best coordinated. The new role for the National Academy can help define criteria to guide decisions on continued and future funding. The bill also sets up procedures to use these evaluations to terminate federal programs that are not performing at acceptable levels.”

Domenici continued, “The new bill incorporates a set of well-developed principles for federal funding of science and technology. These principles were developed by the Senate Science and Technology Caucus. Those principles, when carefully applied, can lead to better choices among the many opportunities for federal S&T funding. The new bill also incorporates recommendations for independent merit-based review of federal S&T programs, which should further strengthen them.”

“Many aspects of the Federal Research Investment Act support and compliment key points in the new study released by Representative Vern Ehlers just recently. His study, Unlocking our Future,’ will serve as an important focal point for continuing discussions on the critical goal of strengthening our nation’s science and technology base. I’ve certainly appreciated interactions with Representative Ehlers as he developed his study and as S. 2217 was developed.

“The new Federal Research Investment Act builds and improves on the goals of the previous bill. With S. 2217, we will build stronger federal Science and Technology programs that will underpin our nation’s ability to compete effectively in the global marketplace of the 21st century.”

When Congress adjourns this week, S. 2217 will die, as will all other unfinished legislation. The bill’s supporters plan to reintroduce it early next year. With over one-third of all senators listed as cosponsors, and Senate passage of S. 2217, the new legislation should do well in the Senate. A real unknown is if, how and when the House of Representatives will act with a companion bill. House Science Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) has frequently said that it was necessary for the Ehlers’ report to be completed before acting on any legislation. That report is done.

A more immediate concern is what the Clinton Administration is planning for Fiscal Year 2000. Senior department and agency heads are now working with the Office of Management and Budget on the new request.

The Senate is on now on record in support of a doubling of the federal civilian R&D budget over the next twelve years