S&T Funding in the New Administration & Congress Matt Hourihan February 17, 2017 For McAllister & Quinn’s Grant Officer Workshop AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program http://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program
Plan of Attack for Today What happened under Obama? Current State of Play and Timeline What We Know About Administration Preferences Congressional Preferences
R&D Funding in the Obama Years While the President’s requests were regularly unfulfilled, appropriators often funded research…when there was fiscal room “All politics is local” Competitiveness, health, energy independence, national security However, still disagreement, i.e.: Climate science Social science Applied tech: energy, manufacturing Duplication, role of government, waste, accountability, transparency Nondefense discretionary spending ultimately a lower priority for everyone
Where We Are and Upcoming Milestones FY 2017 Appropriations stuck since fall Trump Admin budget amendment coming in…March? SecDef: 30-day readiness review Will result in a tweak of the final Obama budget, with defense spending increase Current CR runs out April 28 FY 2018 February (?): budget outline Late April (?): full request Appropriations: typically late spring/summer, into fall…and beyond Also: debt ceiling deadline in March
Questions on FY18 Science Budget Defense/Nondefense mix? “Penny Plan” Based on prior proposals, possible (but not certain) targets might include: Climate science (NASA, DOE, elsewhere?) Energy science and technology Advanced Manufacturing EPA Other applied research? Discovery science relatively safe? Rhetoric vs. reality? If the Administration seeks to blow a hole in the nondefense discretionary budget – how does Congress react?
From Budget Appropriations Congress has the power of the purse Twelve appropriations subcommittees in each chamber Decentralized: Eight subcommittees responsible for at least $1 billion of R&D Approps led by “Cardinals” Committee Chairs: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ), Sen. Thad Cochran (MS) Ranking Members: Rep. Nita Lowey (NY), Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) Appropriators will often have their own priorities “President proposes, Congress disposes”
Energy & Water Subcommittee House Senate Chair Mike Simpson (ID) Lamar Alexander (TN) Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH) Dianne Feinstein (CA) ~$40 billion Challenge: balancing basic research, DOE tech portfolio, NNSA; also Army Corps, Bureau of Reclamation Questions: What happens to applied tech? Does support for science programs (physics, bio, others) continue?
Labor, HHS, Education Subcommittee House Senate Chair Tom Cole (OK) Roy Blount (MO) Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT) Patty Murray (WA) >$150 billion Deep divisions over public health programs, education, DOL Usually one of the hardest to pass, thus usually one of the last out of the gate Everybody likes NIH lately Especially Alzheimer’s research Cancer moonshot?
Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee House Senate Chair John Culberson (TX) Richard Shelby (AL) Ranking Member Jose Serrano (NY) Jeanne Shaheen (NH) ~$55 billion Challenge: balancing Depts. of Justice and Commerce, NASA, NSF Questions: NSF: social and geo science funding? Facilities? NASA: what happens to earth science? Human spaceflight? (and where do we go?) Commerce: What happens to NOAA climate research and NIST commercial technology programs?
Agriculture Subcommittee House Senate Chair Robert Aderholt (AL) John Hoeven (ND) Ranking Member Sanford Bishop (GA) Jeff Merkley (OR) ~$20 billion Funds most USDA (but not Forest Service); also FDA Balancing between conservation, public assistance, food safety Questions: Does growth for competitive grants continue? Do formula funds remain lower priority?
For more info… mhouriha@aaas.org 202-326-6607 http://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program