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NSF Congressional Highlight
House Approppriations Subcommittee Mark Up
July 27, 1999
Late on the afternoon of July 26th, the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent
agencies marked up the FY 2000 appropriatons bill
for the various agencies under the subcommittee's
jurisdiction. This includes NSF, NASA, VA, HUD, EPA
and numerous other independent agencies. As a result
of the caps on spending brought on by the Balanced
Budget Act, the subcommittee was forced to deal with
a severe reduction in domestic discretionary spending
from the level it had to work with last year. The
subcommittee's recommendation includes major reductions
from the FY 1999 level for NASA, EPA, and other popular
housing and VA programs under the subcommittee's jurisdiction.
In the face of the significant reduction in its discretionary
allocation, the subcommittee has recommended for NSF
a FY 2000 budget of $3.647 billion which is about
$24 million below the FY 1999 appropriation and $274.6
million below the level requested by the President
for FY 2000.
Within the amount recommended for NSF's research and
related activities account, $2778.5 million - which
is $8.5 million above the FY99 level -- the subcommittee
has provided $35M for information technology research
In the computer and information science and engineering
directorate and $35M for biocomplexity. Because of
the budget constraints, the subcommittee deferred
support for NSF's opportunity fund for FY 2000. In
addition, the subcommittee's report includes recommended
funding levels for each of the research directorates:
$391 million for BIO; $312.67 million for CISE; $369
milion for ENG; $473 million for GEO; $735 million
for MPS; $138 million for SBE; $183 million for U.S.
Polar Research Programs; $62.6 million for U.S. Antarctic
Logistical Support Activities; and $114.23 million
for Integrative Activities.
The education and human resources account is recommended
to be funded at the level of $660 million - a reduction
of $2M below the FY 99 level. The subcommittee's recommendations
include: $114.2 million for Educational System Reform;
$48.41 million for EPSCOR; $193.52 million for Elementary
and Secondary and Informal Education; $103.54 million
for Undergraduate Education; $69.65 million for Graduate
Education; $73.68 million for Human Resource Development;
and $57 million for Research, Evaluation, and Communication.
The major research equipment account is recommended
to be funded at $56.5M with the reduction from the
request driven largely by deferring funding for the
terascale computing system. The subcommittee did provide
$7.5 million to begin the acquisition of a high altitude
research aircraft, plus the requested funds for the
start up of the Network for Earthquake Engineering
Simulation (NEES), the modernization of the South
Pole research station, the Large Hadron Collider,
the millimeter array, and the upgrade of polar support
aircraft.
The salaries and expenses appropriation was increased
by $2.5 million to a level of $146.5 million and the
Office of Inspector General was increased by $125,000
to a level of $5.325 million.
Full committee action could come later this week with
House floor action expected next week prior to the
start of the August recess.
Senate subcommittee action on the FY 2000 VA HUD appropriations
bill has not yet been scheduled.
See also:
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