Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
april 2016

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budget

Senate Committee passes bill funding NASA, NIST, NSF, NOAA

April 21, 2016

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2017 on April 21. The bill provides $56 billion in discretionary funding for a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Within the bill, NSF would receive $7.5 billion, a less than 1 percent increase over FY 2016 levels, and $55 million below the President’s request. Despite this modest increase, the bill includes major increases for research equipment and facilities—more than $46 million over FY 2016 levels—and does not include directorate-level cuts.

NASA Earth Science, which includes many earth-observing satellites, would see an increase in its budget to $1.9 billion to continue development of Landsat 9 and to continue the Pre-Aerosol, Clouds, and Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, among other projects.

The bill still needs to pass the full Senate and conference with a House version of the bill before it can be signed into law.

Sources: NASA, Senate Appropriations Committee

House Energy and Water Appropriations bill passes out of committee

April 19, 2016

The House Committee on Appropriations met on April 19 to markup the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which provides funding for the Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies. The bill passed with a top-line budget of $37.4 billion.

Although the bill includes a general increase for DOE, it still falls below the President’s $32 billion request and cuts funding within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by almost 12 percent. Under the bill, geothermal energy, solar energy, and hydropower would see the largest decreases of 21.1, 18.5, and 21.4 percent, respectively. Fossil Energy Research and Development, however, would see a $13 billion increase over FY 2016 enacted levels, a 2 percent increase.   

An amendment proposed by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to provide Flint, Michigan with $800 million for recovery from lead-contaminated water was debated and finally rejected.

The bill will now move on to the House floor and subsequently to conference with a Senate version of the bill.

Sources: House Committee on Appropriations, E&E News