July 19, 2017
District Days: August is Coming!
It’s that time of year again. Winter August is coming! Throughout next month (also known as “August Recess”), members of Congress will be home in their state and district offices to host events at home and meet with constituents to talk about their priorities. This is a prime time for you to meet with your legislators and tell them about the value of science to your local community. We know …
July 18, 2017
House Rejects Trump’s Budget, but Still Cuts Science
Appropriations Update: Part 2 Leaders in the House of Representatives have directed the Appropriations Committee to introduce and consider all 12 appropriations bills before the chamber breaks for August recess. Overall, science fared poorly in the House spending bills, although most agencies did not receive the drastic cuts proposed by the President’s budget request. Here’s a recap of the Energy and Water spending bill, which includes funding for the Department …
July 17, 2017
Science Fares Poorly in House Spending Bills
Appropriations Update: Part 1 Leaders in the House of Representatives have directed the Appropriations Committee to introduce and consider all 12 appropriations bills before the chamber breaks for August recess. Overall, science fared poorly in the House spending bills, although most agencies did not receive the drastic cuts proposed by the President’s budget request. Here’s a recap of the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill for fiscal year 2018 (FY18), which includes …
July 12, 2017
Reflections on a Society Doorknock: Engaging Policy Makers
Editors Note: This blog post was cross-posted from Wiley’s Discover the Future of Research blog. By Lexi Shultz, Vice President of Public Affairs, American Geophysical Union Thanks to the terrific staff at Wiley, I recently had the opportunity to join other leaders from scientific societies for a day on Capitol Hill – or, as Wiley calls it, a “Doorknock.” During this event, representatives from half a dozen or so science …
July 10, 2017
AN OVERVIEW OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS AND CONGRESSIONAL RECESS VISITS
Editor’s Note: This blog post was cross-posted from From The Prow, a blog by AGU leadership. Originally posted by Chris McEntee The congressional appropriations processes for FY 18 – in which both the House of Representatives and the Senate decide how to allocate funds among all federal agencies, is beginning in earnest. Your voice and participation advancing the value of science is needed more than ever. There is no better time to …
June 8, 2017
MIT Student Policy Group Shines on Capitol Hill
Editor’s Note: The following guest blog is written by Tiziana Smith, a PhD student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at MIT and a graduate of the MIT Technology and Policy Master’s Program. When I attended the AGU conference last fall for the first time, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to attend as many science communication and science policy events as possible. At these events, I …
June 1, 2017
Department of Energy Cut by 9%: Some programs fare worse
In the President’s FY2018 budget request, the Department of Energy sees an overall cut of 9% compared to funding in the FY2017 Omnibus bill. While this cut is significant, most research programs under the Administration’s proposal would see even more drastic reductions. Office of Science cut by 17% The President’s budget requests $28,042 million for the Office of Science, a 17% reduction from FY2017**. Included in these cuts are reductions …
Environmental Protection Agency: Cuts to Science and Personnel
The President’s budget proposes an overall reduction in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding by 30% relative to the FY2017 Omnibus bill. The agency’s Science and Technology programs would see nearly a 45% reduction under the President’s budget to streamline EPA’s work, including cuts to research in the Air and Energy, Water Resources, Community Sustainability, and Chemical Safety programs to name a few. Programs that would be eliminated under the …
May 31, 2017
USGS Sees 15% cut in President’s FY18 Request
USGS’ topline budget saw a 15% cut in President Trump’s FY18 budget request, which would fund the agency at $922.2 million. Large Cuts to USGS Climate Programs The largest cut came out of the Land Resources mission area, which also received a title change from its previous name, “Climate and Land Use Change”. According to a USGS press release, this name change reflects the mission area’s “actual problem-solving focus on …
NOAA Cut 16% in President Trump’s Budget Request
NOAA’s topline budget received a 16% cut in President Trump’s budget request, aligning with previous messaging around his skinny budget that was released in March. Cuts to NOAA Research and Education NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) saw the largest percentage cut in the proposal, with a decrease of 32%. Within OAR, NOAA’s Climate Research program received a 19% cut. Within the Climate Research program, the budget called for the elimination …
