1. R&D Funding in the New Administration and Congress
Matt Hourihan
April 18, 2017
For the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Education Leadership Summit
AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program

2. 1. Recent History (a.k.a past is prologue)

6. R&D Funding in the Obama Years
While the President’s requests were regularly unfulfilled, appropriators still found ways to fund research…when there was fiscal room
“All politics is local”
Competitiveness, health, energy independence, national security; individual legislator priorities
However, still areas of particular disagreement, i.e.:
Climate science
Social science
Applied/industrial tech: energy, manufacturing
Duplication, role of government, waste, accountability, transparency
Nondefense discretionary spending ultimately a lower priority for everyone

7. 2. The Trump Administration Budget

14. 3. What About Congress?

15. Reception and Questions…
Some Republican responses:
“draconian, careless, and counterproductive”
“cannot pass”
“does not work”
“you’ll see some changes”
“ridiculous”
FY17 appropriations: how does Congress wrap things up?
FY18 budget resolution: Where do the caps end up?
Remember: 60 votes required to change!
FY18 appropriations: does support continue? How does the basic/applied dichotomy shake out?

16. 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?

17. Labor, HHS, Education Subcommittee
House
Senate
Chair
Tom Cole (OK)
Roy Blunt (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?

18. 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?

19. 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?

20. Interior & Environment
House
Senate
Chair
Ken Calvert (CA)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Ranking Member
Betty McCollum (MN)
Tom Udall (NM)
~$30 billion
Includes: Dept. of the Interior, EPA; also Forest Service; small bit goes to NIH
Another divisive bill: environmental protection, land use, emissions regulation, wildfire management and response
Again, science funding tends to take secondary prominence (U.S. Geological Survey, EPA S&T)

21. For more info…