Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
april 2017

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budget

House science committee member questions DOE on reports of withholding ARPA-E funds

April 26, 2017

On April 26, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology sent a letter to the Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry requesting information regarding program management at the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).  The letter was written in response to reports that the Department of Energy (DOE) has been withholding fiscal year (FY) 2016 funds on already approved grants for ARPA-E.

Ranking Member Johnson states in the letter, “Taken together with the President’s recent budget request that proposes to eliminate ARPA-E, these reports appear to suggest that the Administration is attempting to shut down the agency without Congressional authorization. Such an action would be both ill-advised and potentially illegal.” Ranking Member Johnson asks for a response by May 3 providing guidance as to whether ARPA-E is currently subject to a “no contract action” or similar action which freezes program funding, and what are the parameters if such an action is in effect.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives

Congress passes short-term continuing resolution for FY 2017

April 28, 2017

On April 28, Congress passed a short-term measure to fund the government through May 5, 2017, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. An earlier continuing resolution, passed on December 9, 2016, was due to expire at midnight on April 28.

Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX-32), Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, released a statement following passage of the joint resolution (H.J.Res.99). The continuing resolution provided appropriations to keep the government open for an extra week in fiscal year (FY) 2017. The short-term continuing resolution was designed to give members of Congress extra time to negotiate a full package of appropriations bills for FY 2017, which runs through September 30, 2017.

Sources: U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules, Library of Congress