February 2, 2015

President Obama released his fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget request on February 2, possibly indicating a return to normal fiscal order on Capitol Hill. The FY 2016 budget request sets top-level funding at $1.155 trillion for the federal government from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016.

Throughout the budget, the President highlights many administrative priorities, including climate preparedness and community resilience, as well as support for domestic energy production.

Many agencies would see increases to their budgets under the President’s request. Within the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the National Park Service would all receive budget increases. The National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NASA would also see increases.

The President requested $1.195 billion for USGS, a 14.5 percent increase over FY 2015 enacted levels. The increase would help support increases within every mission directorate including Natural Hazards (+8.3 percent), Energy, Minerals and Environment (+12 percent), Core Science Systems (+18.5 percent), Water Resources (+5.5 percent), Ecosystems (+12.3 percent), and Climate and Land Use Change (+41 percent).

Congress will now consider the President’s request as they negotiate their own budget proposals this spring to be released sometime later this year.

For more information on how the geosciences faired in the FY 2016 budget request please visit the AGI website.

Sources: White House Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Geological Survey