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- Path: sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!dtix!relay!diamond.nswc.navy.mil!rsherme
- From: rsherme@diamond.nswc.navy.mil (Russel Shermer (R43))
- Newsgroups: sci.research
- Subject: fyi #118 : Status of Science Funding Bills
- Message-ID: <1992Sep2.195405.8125@relay.nswc.navy.mil>
- Date: 2 Sep 92 19:54:05 GMT
- Sender: news@relay.nswc.navy.mil
- Organization: NAVSWC DD White Oak Det.
- Lines: 102
-
- Posted for:
- Public Information Division
- American Institute of Physics
- Contact: Richard M. Jones
- Phone: (202) 332-9661
- Email: fyi@aip.org
-
-
-
- Thirty Days to New Fiscal Year: Status of Science Funding Bills
-
- FYI No. 118, September 1, 1992
-
-
- The new fiscal year begins on October 1. When Congress returns to
- work next week it must finalize twelve appropriations bills and
- send them to President Bush for his signature. Below is the status
- of two important bills to the physics community which will provide
- fiscal year 1993 funding for the National Science Foundation, NASA,
- and the Department of Energy:
-
-
- NSF, NASA:
-
- The final shape of this bill remains the most uncertain. On July
- 29, the House passed H.R. 5679, the VA, HUD, Independent Agencies
- Appropriations bill. After extensive debate the House voted 237 to
- 181 to provide $1.7 billion for Space Station Freedom. This bill
- went on to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has completed
- its own version of the legislation. The full Senate is expected to
- vote on H.R. 5679 the week of September 7. Work on a final bill -
- the conference report - should be completed in mid to late
- September.
-
- As it now stands, the two versions of the bill differ in funding
- levels for the NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. Both versions provide
- much less money than the administration requested, with the Senate
- bill containing $36.5 million more than the House legislation.
- Appropriated amounts for Research and Related Activities are almost
- identical. The Senate bill contains more money for Academic
- Research Facilities and Instrumentation, and Education and Human
- Resources. For additional information about the NSF portions of
- the two bills, see FYIs #102 and 112.
-
- NASA figures in the bill also differ, and will have to be hammered
- out by the conference committee. The space agency is going to
- receive significantly less than the administration's request. The
- Senate bill, as it now stands, would provide $519.8 million more
- than the House version for NASA. The Senate committee provides
- $375 million more for the space station than does the House bill.
- For additional information, see FYIs #103, 113, and 114.
-
- WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The vote by the full Senate on the Senate
- Appropriations Committee's draft bill will be taken next week. An
- amendment will probably be offered to delete funding for the space
- station, although this is not expected to be successful. A
- conference committee will then produce the final version of H.R.
- 5679, which should be passed by the House and Senate without much
- dispute.
-
-
- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
-
- In contrast to the VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations
- bill, both the full House and Senate have passed differing versions
- of H.R. 5373.
-
- An area of major disagreement is over funding for the
- SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER. The House voted in mid-June to
- close down the SSC. The Senate, in early August, provided $550
- million for the project. A conference committee, which should
- convene in the near future, will have to arrive at a final figure.
- Since the House Appropriations Committee supports the SSC, the
- compromise figure will be as high as the conference committee feels
- it can win approval for in the House. Sentiment seems to be
- turning in favor of the SSC in the House, and it appears likely
- that the project will receive continued funding in the new fiscal
- year.
-
- The FUSION funding level is $4.7 million higher in the House bill
- than in the Senate version. The Senate bill provides $10 million
- more for HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS than does the House legislation to go
- to the Fermilab main injector. NUCLEAR PHYSICS receives $54.4
- million more in the House bill than in the Senate legislation.
-
- For further information, see FYIs #81, 82, 83, 84, 108, 109, 110,
- and 111.
-
- WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The next step calls for a conference committee
- to resolve the differences in funding levels. Especially important
- will be the final funding level for the SSC. Expect an impressive
- amount of wheeling and dealing when the House is asked to reverse
- itself and approve hundreds of millions of dollars for the SSC in
- the conference report.
-
-
- ###############
- Public Information Division
- American Institute of Physics
- Contact: Richard M. Jones
- (202) 332-9661
- ##END##########
-