VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001

The Members of the Science Committee believe America's future preeminence in world affairs will be based more on economic strength than at any other time in our Nation's history. The robust economic strength that America enjoys today is a result of pioneering fundamental research and development activities of the nottoo-distant past. Similarly, today's science, technology, and engineering base will improve the quality of life for future generations of citizens and will enable them to look back at this era and see it as the second "golden-age" of science.

Fiscal discipline at the Federal level has resulted in projections of budget surpluses well into the future. Continuing pressure from mandatory programs, however, will continue to squeeze discretionary funding.

Comparison of Mandatory, Discretionary and Net Interest Outlays
Under President Clinton's Budgets

(Actual Dollars, FY 1992-FY 2005)

1998

6661

Fiscal Years

2000

2001

In FY2000, Congress affirmed the strong correlation between scientific advance and a growing economy by making discretionary R&D spending a priority. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) notes that total federal support for total R&D in the FY2000 budget reached $83.3 billion last year, an increase of 5.0 percent over FY1999. Programs under the Science Committee's jurisdiction received an increase in FY2000 of 3.2 percent, or $798 million more than appropriated in FY1999.

The President's FY2001 science budget outlines some positive steps in strengthening our scientific enterprise and many of the new initiatives parallel the Committee's work. The President has proposed a 3 percent increase for total R&D in FY2001 actual dollars. Non-Defense R&D receives a significant increase of 6 percent in FY2001 in actual dollars under the President's budget. Despite those significant increases in FY2001, outyear budgets are either flat or actually decline. The President's budget fails to meet the stable and sustainable funding criteria needed for science and technology programs in the outyears.

Total Federal R&D Budget Authority under President's FY 2001 Budget

While Civilian R&D would receive a 6 percent funding increase in FY2001 actual dollars, the President's FY2001 budget growth drops below the rate of inflation in funding in FY2002.

In addition, the President's FY2001 budget continues to decrease Defense R&D.

Dollars in Millions

Annual Percentage Change

As stated, the President's FY2001 budget would provide an increase for civilian science agencies and departments. However, the President also provides large increases for competing programs within VA, HUD and Independent Agencies.

While science has a great impact on our economy and future, science programs will have to continue to demonstrate their importance versus other discretionary spending programs. Most of the Committee's science programs fall under the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies appropriations account. The budgets of NASA, EPA and NSF are dwarfed by other accounts in this appropriation bill.

The National Science Policy Study of 1998 recognizes, "[t]he resources of the federal government will always be limited in that there are always greater numbers of worthwhile projects than there are dollars in the treasury to fund them." In order to maximize every science dollar, it is the view of the Committee on Science that funding for fundamental scientific research should take precedence over applied research that is better conducted by the private sector. The Study emphasized that the Federal Government must make basic research the federal research priority. In his FY2001 budget, the President also pledges to make long-term basic research a priority. It is true that basic research receives an increase over FY2000 in the President's FY2001 budget, but so does almost every other program. Thus, the Science Committee believes a more accurate depiction of the President's priority in science is illustrated in the distribution of funding between applied and basic research. This comparison of FY2000 and FY2001 civilian R&D spending by theme demonstrates that the Administration's stated emphasis on basic research is not reflected in the FY2001 budget.