Where Things Stand: First Day of New Fiscal Year
Today is the first day of the new year -- Fiscal Year 1999. Where do things stand on Capitol Hill on appropriations bills that are of concern to the physics community?
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: Today, House and Senate conferees are scheduled to complete work on the appropriations bill funding NSF in this new fiscal year. The administration requested $3.773 billion for the foundation, up $344 million from last year. Both the House and Senate voted to give NSF less (-3.4 and -2.0%) than the request. Funding for the Research and Related Activities budget in the House and Senate bills is less than the request. As of midnight last night, NSF is being funded through a short-term funding bill that runs out on October 9. Whether or not the VA/HUD bill is signed by the President is yet to be seen, since the administration objects to some environmental provisions in the EPA section.
NASA: The space agency and NASA are funded through the same appropriations bill. The administration’s request of $13.465 billion is down $173 million from last year. The Senate’s bill would keep the agency’s budget fairly level as compared to last year, while the House bill would cut the budget by another 1.0%. The Science, Aeronautics and Technology Account is in good shape, depending upon one’s perspective. Both the House and Senate bills provided more than the request, although less than last year’s budget.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY: The appropriations bill funding NIST is very troubled because of a major disagreement over how to conduct the census, also funded through the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill. Both House and Senate bills would make heavy cuts in NIST’s request of $715.0 million (-12.7 and 9.6%) The Senate bill would essentially fund the Scientific and Technical Research and Services request, while the House would slice 3.8%. NIST is being funded through the short-term funding bill that will probably have to be extended. Next month’s election will - hopefully - force a solution enabling this bill to be signed.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: Congress has sent this bill to the President, as reported in FYI #134 .
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: Congress has also sent this bill to the President. FYI will report on the R&D appropriations in an upcoming issue.
Finally, Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) has submitted his report, “Toward a National Science Policy.” Future issues of FYI will report on this 74-page report.
