S&T Funding in the New Administration Matt Hourihan March 27, 2017 For the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Forum AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program http://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program
A new Administration that… Prioritizes defense buildup and the nuclear triad Pledges tax cuts and (eventual) balanced budgets Promises to leave the major entitlements alone Focuses on nondefense budget as source of deficit reduction Proposes major cuts to federal R&D Is marginally more generous to basic research than applied research and technology Follows an Administration that… Generally attempted to prioritize R&D investments Placed special emphasis on applied energy technology
Reagan vs Trump Reagan: Sustained the consensus on government’s role in basic research in general, while attacking applied tech, environmental R&D; supported big science Trump looking to cut all of it 115th Congress seems much less willing than the 97th Congress to meet Administration even halfway Some very negative reactions! 60-vote requirement for spending caps Over time, Reagan did evolve i.e. called for NSF doubling 20 years before America COMPETES
For more info… mhouriha@aaas.org 202-326-6607 http://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program