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View from the Hill

View from the Hill. Ellen E. Burns, Ph.D Office of Congressman Vern Ehlers. Components of Congressional Action. Authorization Budget Appropriations. Authorization. Establishes or continues a agency, activity, or program Authorizes appropriations

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View from the Hill

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  1. View from the Hill Ellen E. Burns, Ph.D Office of Congressman Vern Ehlers

  2. Components of Congressional Action • Authorization • Budget • Appropriations

  3. Authorization • Establishes or continues a agency, activity, or program • Authorizes appropriations • Technically, only authorized programs receive appropriations • Does not guarantee appropriations • Example: H.R. 4664 NSF reauthorization • Process: Senate, House, Conference, President

  4. Budget President’s Request • Defines Administration Priorities (large & small) • Spending Limits, Deficit & Program Increases • Starting Point for Congressional Budget & Appropriations • Delivered to Congress February 1 for next FY Congressional Budget • Sets Congressional Priorities (large) • Spending Limits, Deficit • Mandatory Spending • (Entitlements—SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans, Housing, Farm Subsidies) • Discretionary Spending (Yearly Appropriation Bills) • Function Levels (e.g. basic science = function 250) • Process: House, Senate, Conference • Due April 15 for next FY

  5. Appropriations Discretionary Spending • Provides funds to agencies & programs • Trumps Authorizations, President’s Request & Congressional Budget • Can legislate through appropriations • President’s Requests are viewed as “suggestions” • May exceed Congressional Budget spending caps • Allocations to functions are largely irrelevant (structure) • Cases in which function aligns with subcommittee and becomes politically relevant (defense, homeland security)

  6. Appropriations Structure & Process • Appropriations Committee divides budget authority among its 13 Subcommittees 8. Interior 9. Labor, HHS, Ed 10. Legislative Branch 11. Military Construction 12. Transportation/Treasury 13. VA/HUD • Agriculture • Commerce, State Justice • Defense • District of Columbia • Energy and Water • Foreign Operations • Homeland Security • Process: House, Senate, Conference, President • Due September 30 for next FY (rarely met)

  7. FY 2005 Budget Outlook • Tight Budget, Large Deficit (~$500 B) • Significant National Priorities • Control Spending and Deficits • War on Terrorism, Homeland Security, Iraq • Medicare, Healthcare, Social Security, Veterans (lobby/politics drives spending) • Increases in Mandatory Spending and Deficit Control Measures are Squeezing the Discretionary Budget • Domestic Discretionary Spending held to 0.5% increase • Baby Boomer Generation

  8. FY 2005 R&D Budget OutlookPresident’s Request • Total federal R&D in FY 2005 is $132.0 B (+$5.5 B) • Increases go to DOD and DHS (7% and 15%) • Increases go primarily to development (8%) • Basic and applied would be flat at $55.7 B (+0.2%) • Biomedical R&D continues to out-pace non-biomedical R&D Congress: Is still working on the budget conference. Numbers may change, but trends are similar

  9. FY 2005 Appropriations • The Budget Resolution is not completed. Appropriations Committee is using $821 B for allocation. • Allocations for the subcommittees have not been set • Likely that allocations will be flat or less than FY 2004 • Except in DHS/DOD • Trade-offs between programs will be significant and difficult. • Subcommittees are currently holding hearings to help them set priorities

  10. FY 2005 S&T Specifics NSF • President’s Request: $5.745 B (+3% over FY 2004) • Well short of the $7.4 B necessary to double by 2007 • Increases in MRE & Salaries • Decrease in Education and Human Resources (EHR) • Other directorates up ~2.2% • Congress: No number has been suggested • Chairman Walsh and Ranking Member Mollohan are supportive of NSF • “Can’t give what they don’t have” • Mr. Ehlers & Mr. Holt are sponsoring letter to support NSF • Setting up self-sustaining NSF lobbying plan

  11. FY 2005 S&T Specifics DOE Office of Science • President’s Request: $3.4 B (-2% from FY 2004) • Well short of the $4.2 B in H.R. 6 • Increases for Security and Workforce • Significant decrease in Science Lab Infrastructure & Biological and Environmental Research • Congress: No number has been suggested • Chairman Hobson and Ranking Member Visclosky are supportive • Likely to have significant “funding hole” in allocation (Yucca) • Mrs. Biggert is starting a letter to support DOE SC

  12. FY 2005 S&T Specifics NIH • President’s Request: $28.8 B (+2.6% from FY 2004) • Most Institutes up by 2.8-3.3% • $60 million in new money for the NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research • Grant size and new starts increase slightly • Congress: No number has been suggested • Do not expect NIH funding to increase significantly, but never know given the biomedical lobby

  13. FY 2005 S&T Specifics Doubling • Lessons from NIH Doubling: • Need to have a reasonable plan for growth before and after doubling • Members & public will expect outcomes after doubling • Need an effective lobby to push doubling through appropriations—not enough to have authorizing language

  14. FY 2005 S&T Specifics Doubling • NSF Doubling: • Mr. Ehlers supports NSF doubling & is working to return NSF funding to the doubling track as soon as possible. • In the meantime: • Fight for continued positive growth in NSF budget • Maintain momentum generated by doubling effort • Educate Members on importance of basic research & NSF • Build an effective coalition and lobby for NSF growth • Encourage NSF to develop cohesive plans for pre- and post-doubling DOE SC Doubling is gaining support but has a long way to go

  15. Challenges in FY 2005 • Very tight discretionary budget • Organization of Appropriations pits S&T agencies against other popular programs (NSF vs. VA/HUD) • Need to protect the budgets of various agencies • Educate Members on importance of S&T investment to innovation and economic growth • Effectively lobby & make S&T something Members support in all years (lean or flush) • Members are reluctant to sign letters this year

  16. What Can you do? • Give up being Apolitical • Realize that government does not “owe” anything to science • Participate—connect with Congress, CNSF, ESC • Educate • Members • Yourself, Your Colleagues, Your Students • Specifically for FY 2005: • Write or Call your Member of Congress and ask them to sign the NSF and DOE letters.

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