Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) workshop 2018 Tiffany Kaul & Sonia Rao

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and CASE Learned about the role of science in policy-making and the federal policy-making process Learned about the structure and organization of Congress, the federal budget and appropriations processes Learned more about effective science communication and civic engagement Goals of AAAS Enhance communication among scientists, engineers, and the public; Promote and defend the integrity of science and its use; Strengthen support for the science and technology enterprise; Provide a voice for science on societal issues; Promote the responsible use of science in public policy; Strengthen and diversify the science and technology workforce; Foster education in science and technology for everyone; Increase public engagement with science and technology; and Advance international cooperation in science

Federal budget is a big deal! No budget , no policy Major impact for R&D and innovation Most basic research and university research is federally funded

The Budget Process at a Glance Executive Branch Legislative Branch White House Budget Committees Budget Resolution OMB Agencies OSTP February Budget Request Appropriations Committees & Subcommittees SPENDING BILLS (x12) Timeline is 18 months or more from the start of agency planning to completion of appropriations and start of the fiscal year on October 1, however… Congress hasn’t gotten appropriations finished on time since 1996

Agencies in the Budget Process Executive Branch Agency process kicks off 18+ months in advance. Generally: Developing strategic priorities, objectives (winter/early spring) Then developing and iterating concrete, detailed program proposals and scenarios (spring/summer) Often bottom-up in the details: small units  larger units  agency leadership/CFO Ingredients include: Agency head and staff judgment External input from advisory or review committees, workshops or meetings, NAS decadal surveys, Congress, etc. Incrementalism: last year’s budget influences next year’s Performance metrics White House OMB Agencies OSTP

The White House in the Budget Process Executive Branch OMB = Office of Management and Budget Spring: Guidance memo to agencies Fall: Thorough, detailed review of agency budget submissions, followed by “passbacks” and appeals OMB’s job is to constrain spending OSTP = Office of Science and Technology Policy Summer: joint memo with OMB outlining broad S&T priority areas for investment Advice (with PCAST) and coordination to President, agencies, OMB, NSTC on science investments and strategies High-level political, spending, or legislative priorities Negotiation with agencies Things must wrap in January This is all truncated in transition years White House OMB Agencies OSTP

Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) Created in 1976 to provide the Executive office with advice on scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, and environment among other topics Current OSTP priority areas are military superiority, security, prosperity, energy dominance, and health; priority practices include supporting innovative early-stage research Science and Tech highlights: drone pilot system, gene editing, artificial intelligence President Truman was first to have a science assistant Obama administration had an activist view with OSTP Now philosophy is to let orgs/states do their thing and OSTP should make sure they reach their mission goals 50 people in OSTP during Bush from 130 in Obama. Low 50s now.

The Budget Process at a Glance Legislative Branch Executive Branch White House Budget Committees Budget Resolution OMB Agencies OSTP February Budget Request Appropriations Committees & Subcommittees SPENDING BILLS (x12) Congress has the Power of the Purse Does the President’s Budget even matter? Only as much as Congress lets it

Appropriations Committees & Subcommittees The Budget Resolution Legislative Branch Established by 1974 CBA Intended to reassert legislative control Overall framework: Revenue, deficit, and total spending targets Non-binding recommendations Key for science: discretionary spending limit to govern appropriations Isn’t law and can’t change law, but can set up reconciliation instructions (i.e. tax reform) Best seen as a political document as much as a governing document Partly because it isn’t always adopted… Budget Committees Budget Resolution Appropriations Committees & Subcommittees SPENDING BILLS (x12)

Enter the Appropriators Executive Branch Legislative Branch White House Budget Committees Budget Resolution OMB Agencies OSTP February Budget Request Appropriations Committees & Subcommittees SPENDING BILLS (x12) Budget resolution discretionary target  spending caps for each appropriations bill Twelve appropriations subcommittees = twelve spending bills

From Budget to Appropriations Budget Resolution limits  Approps Committees  Subcommittees These caps remain in place all the way through floor consideration 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 “All politics is local” National needs, merit, ideology, constituent needs, balance and tradeoffs, waste, and good government “President proposes, Congress disposes” Key: Getting bills that can pass

Energy & Water Subcommittee House Senate Chair Mike Simpson (ID) Lamar Alexander (TN) Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH) Dianne Feinstein (CA) Tradeoffs: Balancing basic research and facilities, labs, tech portfolio, NNSA; also Army Corps, Bureau of Reclamation NNSA the biggest priority of late Office of Science: as basic science arm, generally supported National labs help Technology programs: Congress tends to fund when funding is available, but can also be first on the chopping block Some value innovation programs more than others Regional energy politics and economics Ideology matters National nuclear security administration

Labor, HHS, Education Subcommittee House Senate Chair Tom Cole (OK) Roy Blunt (MO) Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT) Patty Murray (WA) Deep divisions over public health programs, education, labor But everybody loves NIH! We have now had multiple years of multibillion dollar increases Alzheimer’s, cancer, opioids among the big priorities lately Congress has so far protected NIH awardees from indirect cost changes Other programs also have their supporters (BioShield, BARDA, CDC, etc)

Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee House Senate Chair John Culberson (TX) Richard Shelby (AL) Ranking Member Jose Serrano (NY) Jeanne Shaheen (NH) Tradeoffs: Balancing Justice, Commerce, NASA, NSF; smaller bills this year NSF: many appropriators still value basic research Though disciplinary fights and attacks can have their toll NASA: recent priority, especially popular with current cardinals Again: labs and research centers help NOAA and NIST: more controversy but aspects of these agencies do have supporters, often for locally-driven reasons (i.e. Sea Grant has been protected) NOAA – national oceanic atmospheric administration NIST- national institute of standards and technology

The Federal Budget Cycle Gov’t is usually working on 3 budgets at a time (However, presidential transitions complicate things)

2018 Omnibus- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 $1.3 trillion spending bill passed on March 22, 2018 and funds the federal government through September 30, 2018 Includes large increases to both defense and non-defense spending following 2018 budget-cap increases Highlights NOAA budget increases by $234 million DOD budget increased by $61 billion $359 million to cancer research, $125 million for traumatic brain injury and mental health DOE budget increases by $1.1 billion NIH budget increased by $3 billion (largest research funding increase in the last decade) Focus on addiction and obesity research ~11% increase for Research Largest since Recovery Act Excluding stimulus: largest in 15 years NSF: +5% for research DOE big winner Office of Science: +16% Priorities include exascale, fusion, user facilities ARPA-E and other programs saved, tech boosted DOD: science and tech +6% DARPA +6% Navy basic research: +10.5% Manufacturing programs among priorities (including National Defense Education Program) Other winners: Planetary science, competitive ag grants, NIH, NNSA, DHS S&T Climate/environmental research programs protected, and in some cases boosted More than $3 billion for opioids research, surveillance, response (CDC, NIH, SAMHSA, Justice, FDA, etc)

NIST= national institute of standards and technology USDA= Dept of Agriculture DHS= Dept of homeland security

FY 2019: Hurry up and wait, again Will probably be OK year, but certainly less generous than FY 2018 given spending caps Only a 3% increase allowed for nondefense overall in FY19, versus the 12% jump in FY18

CEO of AAAS Rush Holt "I would think that when the White House last year released their immigration policy they did not think about science AAAS was there to say that that would hurt science...You must preserve freedom of movement and ideas... and that policy would be an affront to science not just individuals...we are frequently speaking out on such things...We find ourselves in challenging times”

Civic Engagement Take-Aways What influences members of congress Media Personal convictions/issues District Most effective way to communicate Know your audience Tell your story Talk about your experiences as a student Share informed opinions Be willing to say I don’t know Connect invention to jobs, economics, high skilled workforce Don’t cast federal funding of R&D as an entitlement or criticize other interest groups Don’t use jargons

Opportunities AAAS Fellowships OSTP science policy internships S&T Policy Fellow – learn first-hand about policy making while contributing knowledge and analytical skills to federal policymaking process. Serve year long assignment in branches of federal government. 130 fellows are selected each year. OSTP science policy internships Work to develop national science and technology policy Other opportunities Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health policy fellowship

Sonia and Tiff on the Hill