1. 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

2. Plan of Attack for Today
What happened under Obama?
Current State of Play and Timeline
What We Know About Administration Preferences
Congressional Preferences

8. 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

9. 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

11. 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?

13. 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”

14. 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?

15. 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?

16. 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?

17. 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?

18. For more info…