The Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee approved their FY2013 spending bill providing $51.9 billion in discretionary budget authority. It includes a 3.3 percent or $240-million budget increase over FY12 levels for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a total of $7.27 billion. This is $100 million short of the President's request of $7.37 billion. News outlets report that the bill will fund NSF Education and Facilities accounts level with the President’s request but the Research and Related Activities account would be $100 million lower than requested.
Also within the Senate CJS bill, NASA would also receive an increase of $1.6 billion for a total of $19.4 billion for the agency, 10 percent more than the President requested. The bill funds NASA Science Mission Directorate at $69 million less than current levels at $5 billion. It also fully funds the James Webb Space Telescope.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would receive $3.4 billion, a 30 percent cut of $1.47 billion from FY12 levels, but much of that cut reflects a transfer of acquisition funding for four weather satellites from NOAA to NASA.
Within National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the bill maintains $128.5 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and provides $14.5 million for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech). Lastly, for the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the bill includes $25 million for Regional Innovation Partnerships.
See Senate CJS bill here.
The House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee made their bill available as well. View the full bill here. The House bill contains $51.1 billion in funding, a reduction of $1.6 billion below last year’s level. The draft bill includes $7.3 billion for NSF, $299 million above FY2 and $41 million below the President’s request. The draft includes $128 million for the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership program and $21 million for an Advanced Manufacturing competitive research initiative at NIST.
The legislation contains $5.0 billion for NOAA, which is $68 million above fiscal year 2012 and $93 million below the President’s request. The House draft funds NASA at $17.6 billion in the bill, $226 million below FY12 and $138 million below the President’s request. Within NASA, $5.1 billion is for Science programs, nearly flat with current levels. Specifically, this includes $1.4 billion for planetary science and $628 million, as requested, for the James Webb Space Telescope.
The House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee marked up their FY13 spending bill. The $32.1 billion draft bill, $88 million increase over current levels, would provide $26.3 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), a $358 million decrease from FY12 and $1.8 billion less than the President’s request. The DOE Office of Science would receive $4.824 billion, $64 million less than FY12 levels and lower than the $4.992 billion requested by the Administration. ARPA-E would be provided $200 million, lower than both the Administration’s request of $350 million and less than the $275 million current level.
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee plans to mark up their FY13 Energy and Water Spending April 24th.
Washington, DC Office
Kurt Schlieter
Associate Vice President and Director of Federal Relations
kschliet@tennessee.edu
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