Senate Considering Increased Funding for Science, Environment

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS); Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The CJS bill funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), while the Interior-Environment bill funds the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S. House of Representatives passed its CJS, Agriculture, and Interior-Environment appropriations spending plan earlier in July. If signed into law, the Senate CJS bill would fund NSF at $8.317 billion — or $242 million above the FY 2019 enacted level and $319 million below the House bill. NSF’s Research and Related Activities account, which includes the Biological Sciences Directorate, would receive $6.8 billion, an increase of $249 million above FY 2019 and $1.1 billion more than the President’s request. NOAA would receive $5.3 billion in FY 2020, an increase of $88 million above FY 2019 and $142 million less than the House bill. The President had proposed slashing the budget for NOAA by 18 percent in 2020. The Senate bill would provide $22.75 billion for NASA, $1.25 billion above the FY 2019 enacted level and $44 milli...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news