The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

January 24, 2018

More Continuing Resolutions, More Negotiations

On Monday, Congress passed a new continuing resolution (CR), ending the second government shutdown in five years. The current CR marks the fourth short term spending bill in fiscal year (FY) 2018 and only funds the government through 8 February. While Congress was able to pass a bipartisan spending bill that ensures that our federal science agencies can currently provide the information and services that protect our local communities, there …

September 28, 2017

5 Things to Know about the Current State of Science Funding

Sequestration (a.k.a. Major Government Cuts) Kicks-In in January The Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) required Congress to find ways to cut the deficit by capping funding for non-defense, including science, and defense programs. Congress never came to an agreement on ways to cut the deficit and therefore automatic across the board cuts for government spending, or sequestration, were invoked. Sequestration was supposed to be so bad that Congress would be forced to …

September 19, 2017

AGU sends letter regarding workforce cuts at DOE

Last week, in response to reports† indicating that the Department of Energy (DOE) has approved plans to reduce the workforce at national laboratories, specifically Oak Ridge and Brookhaven National Laboratories, in accordance with the President’s budget, AGU sent a letter to DOE Secretary Rick Perry urging him to reconsider making such drastic workforce cuts unless directed to by Congress, which has the final say on federal spending. AGU let Secretary …

July 31, 2017

Science Does Slightly Better in Senate Spending Bills

Appropriations Update Part 3: Now that the House Appropriations Committee has considered and passed all 12 appropriations bills, the Senate Appropriations Committee has begun considering and passing their appropriations bills in earnest. Overall, science fared okay in the Senate spending bills we have seen so far, and the drastic cuts proposed in the President’s budget request were nowhere to be seen. Here’s a recap of the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill for fiscal year 2018 …

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 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 1, 2017

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

NASA Fares Okay in President’s FY18 Budget Request

Relative to other federal science agencies, NASA fares fairly well in the president’s budget request, receiving an overall 3% cut in funding from FY17 funding levels. The President’s budget breaks with Obama era policy by officially terminating the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). ARM was very unpopular with Congress, but continues many of the key technologies in development for the mission, such as solar electric propulsion. SMD Recieves .94% Cut The …

May 30, 2017

President’s Budget cuts National Science Foundation (NSF) by 11%

The President’s fiscal year 2018 (FY18) budget proposes to cut NSF’s spending by 10.96% or $840. 98 million from the FY17 spending bill that Congress passed in early May. NSF’s research and related activities account (R&RA), which encompasses NSF’s seven directorates, received a similar 11.14% cut in funding. The consequences of this decrease in funding include: 800 less new research grants than in fiscal year 2016; and NSF in FY18 …