WASHINGTON NEWS

JOM, Aug 2008

From Betsy Houston, Federation of Materials Societies

A Breakdown of "Regular Order." Part II: We reported last month that "It's now all hm official that the Congressional budget process will result in some sort of continuing resolution to essentially punt the hard spending decisions to the next Congress and President." It appears that we were correct, hut the power decisions have shifted from the House, which last month looked Io he moving on its appropriations bills, to the Senate. A contentious partisan battle within the House Appropriations Committee just before the Independence Day recess resulted in Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) declaring that the appropriations process may be over for the year. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) continued to assert his intention to move all 12 appropriations bills through the Senate. Regardless, the science and technology community in Washington continues to advocate for adequate funding for research, development, education, and workforce enhancement, particularly for the "America COMPETES Act" initiatives in the National Science foundation (NSE). the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Finish FY 2008 First: Alter months of dispute, a bipartisan compromise with the White House was reached on the fiscal year (FY) 2008 supplemental appropriations hill which provides for war spending and domestic programs. Included is $400 million for science agencies ($150 million for the National Institutes of Health. $62.5 million each for the NSF, DOE's Office of Science, and NASA, with the remaining $62.5 million going to DOE environmental management activities). Most significantly, the DOE portion of the supplemental funding is slated to restore cuts in key personnel and program activities: "The Department of Energy is instructed to utilize this funding to eliminate all furloughs and reductions in force which are a direct result of budgetary constraints. Workforce reductions which are a result of completed work or realignment of mission should proceed as planned. This funding is intended to maintain technical expertise and capability of the Office of Science and may he used for National Laboratory Research and Development including research related to new neutrino initiatives. Funding for research efforts shall not be allocated until the Office of Science has fully funded all personnel requirements."

NSF Fares Well in Committee Recommendations: Both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees are moving on bills funding the NSF at $789.10 million, a 13% increase over the current level and equal to U.S. President George W. Bush's request for FY 2009. Within the total appropriation, the House and Senate appear to be focusing on how much each can increase the Education and Human Resources allocation. The Senate Committee approved the president's request of $790.41 million, while the I louse increased the allocation to $840.26 million.

NIST Comes in for Criticism, Budget Boost: Congress continues to argue with the ad ministration over priorities for funding within NIST. Commentary from the Senate Appropriations Committee sets out some of the differences: w here the administration requested only S4 million for Industrial Technology Services, the Senate Committee recommended $175 million, including Sl 10 million to fund Hollings Manufacturing Extension Program centers. On measurement activities, the committee report states: "The Committee feels strongly about the benefits of a robust measurements and standards research program that pushes the frontiers of science and helps lay the foundation for innovation. However, the Committee is concerned that the insular culture of the NIST laboratories prevents it from fully exploiting outside partnerships which can provide needed expertise and help accelerate measurement development. The Committee therefore has included funding for a new Strategic Measurement Partnerships (SMP) program to facilitate cost-shared collaborative research partnerships and alliances with institutions of higher education that are focused on developing next generation measurements and standards."

Energy Appropriations Would Be Veto Bait: If the House and Senate ever vote on FY 2009 Energy and Water appropriations bills, expect veto threats from the White House The House bill would add $140 million to the president's request for the Office of Science, targeted to basic research in fusion energy, advanced battery technology, Energj Frontier Research Centers, and establishment of an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The administration consistently has opposed ARPA-E. The Senate bill puts particular emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including advanced battery research for plug-in hybrids and wind technology. The Senate also is more generous to nuclear energy, including increased funding for the Advance Fuel Cycle Initiative and $15 million to establish a university research program in nuclear technology.