The House of Representatives has been moving Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget bills out of committee more quickly than the Senate. The full House has passed one bill, for the Department of Defense; no appropriations bills have reached the Senate floor yet. Congress and the President must agree a budget or a Continuing Resolution by September 30 to avoid a government shutdown. More detail on agency budgets is available here.

House Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
July 12

The House Appropriations Committee approved FY 2018 funding for the Department of Energy (DOE), providing the DOE with $29.8 billion, which is $898 million below the FY 2017 enacted level and $1.8 billion above the President’s budget request. The House allocated $634.6 million to Fossil Energy Research and Development, a $33.4 million decrease below the FY 2017 level and $354.6 million above the President’s request. The bill provides flat funding for the Office of Science at $5.3 billion, although it eliminates funding for Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
July 13

The House Appropriations Committee approved $54 billion in discretionary funding to Commerce, Justice, and Science agencies for FY 2018. The total discretionary funding is $2.6 billion below the FY 2017 level but $4 billion above the President’s budget request. The bill funds the National Science Foundation (NSF) at $7.4 billion, a decrease of $72 million from the 2017 enacted level but a $748 million increase above the President’s request. The bill does not reduce Research and Related Activities at NSF, funding it slightly above the FY 2017 enacted level. The bill also provides the requested $175.8 million for continued development of NASA’s Landsat-9 mission, which is due to launch in 2020.

House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
July 18

The House Appropriations Committee approved a $31.4 billion FY 2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, which is $824 million below the 2017 enacted level and $4.3 billion above the President’s request. The bill provides $10.2 million for the USGS Earthquake Early Warning System, a project that the President’s budget proposal would have eliminated entirely. The FY 2018 appropriations bill also provides $24.4 million to USGS for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) and $22.5 million for 3DEP (3D Elevation Program) National Enhancement.

Senate Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
July 21

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $31.4 billion in FY 2018 funding to the Department of Energy (DOE), a $718 million increase from the FY 2017 enacted level and a $4.1 billion increase above the President’s budget request. The bill funds the Office of Science at $5.5 billion, $138 million above the FY 2017 enacted level and $1 billion more than the President’s request. Within the Office of Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)—which funds research and development of high-impact energy technologies—is funded at $330 million, a $24 million increase above the FY 2017 level. In contrast, the House appropriations bill eliminated all ARPA-E funding for FY 2018.

Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
July 27

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a Commerce, Justice, and Science FY2018 Appropriations Bill for $53.4 billion, which is $3.2 billion below the FY 2017 enacted level and $4.4 billion above the President’s FY 2018 budget request. The bill provides $19.5 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), including $100 million for education programs that were otherwise slated for elimination in the President’s budget request. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is funded at $5.6 billion, a $85 million decrease from the FY 2017 enacted amount. NOAA’s Operations, Research, and Facilities are funded at $3.4 billion, which is $452 million above the President’s budget request.