AIP FYI #47: Congressional Efforts to Boost DOE Office of Science Funding

There has been activity on both sides of Congress during the last week to
increase funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The
House Science Committee quickly passed an authorization bill last week that
provides for annual budget increases between 9.7% and 15.0% in the next four
years. The provisions of this legislation are in a comprehensive energy
bill that will be on the House floor tomorrow. The Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee is working on its own bill that will go to the
floor in May. In addition, thirty-nine senators signed a letter to the
Senate leadership recommending a 10% increase in the Office of Science
budget for next year.

Last week, the House Science Committee considered a bill introduced by
committee chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Ranking Minority Member
Ralph Hall (D-TX) to authorize the Department of Energy’s R&D programs. The
provisions of H.R. 238 are quite similar to those in the energy bill that
ultimately died in House and Senate negotiations last year. The Office of
Science provisions are not controversial; disagreements over hot-button
issues like drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and climate
change are. These contentious issues remain.

Under H.R. 238, the authorization levels for the Office of Science would
increase by 14.5% in the upcoming year, by 9.7% in FY 2005, 11.2% in FY
2006, and 15.0% in FY 2007. This bill sets annual spending limits, and
does not provide the actual money. These numbers are consistent with a bill
earlier introduced by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), H.R. 34. In describing the
bill Boehlert and Hall praised the Science Committee staff for its hard work
in resolving differences among committee members, so that the actual mark up
of the bill was both smooth and fast. There was no controversy about the
authorization levels. A series of amendments were offered on topics ranging
from worker safety at the national laboratories to a new scholarship
program. Almost all were accepted. Programs authorized in the legislation
included those for ITER, nanotechnology, and hydrogen energy.

The Science Committee bill has now been folded into a much larger energy
bill, H.R. 6 that was introduced on Monday. This bill goes to the House
floor tomorrow. A future FYI will report on any floor activity regarding
the Office of Science provisions. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee is working on its own bill with extensive language on science
programs.

Thirty-nine senators signed a letter to Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN)
and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). “We write to bring to your
attention our bipartisan support for the Office of Science in the Department
of Energy,” to letter begins. The letter continues, “Despite the importance
of the research areas to our energy, technology, and economic future, the
Office’s budget in real dollars is the same as it was in 1990. The proposed
budget for the Office of Science in FY 2004 is $3.311 billion, essentially
the same as was appropriated for FY 2003.” The letter concludes, “We urge
you, during the upcoming budget resolution and appropriation process, to
increase funding for the Office of Science by ten percent over the request
level. This bold yet necessary step will strengthen our nation’s scientific
capabilities and the role that the physical sciences play in our energy
security and economic growth.”

Richard M. Jones

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

(301) 209-3094