Summary of Selected Appropriations Bills
Fiscal year 1999 begins in exactly three weeks. Now that the House has returned from recess to join the Senate, both chambers will be under pressure to reconcile their versions of the 13 appropriations bills and get them to the President for signing. Below is a summary of the programs tracked by FYI. (Note: Individual programs may not sum to total because only selected programs are shown.)
Commerce, Justice, State: (H.R. 4276, S. 2260)
FYIs #105 , 112 , 119
This bill, which provides funding for NIST, was passed by the Senate on July 23 and the House on August 6. Both versions of the bill would provide less total funding for NIST than requested. Both chambers provide slightly less than requested for NIST’s in-house core laboratories, called Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS.) Both bills cut the amount for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) dramatically below the request, with the House cutting deeper than the Senate. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and Construction and renovation would each receive the requested amount from both chambers.
NIST FY98 FY99 Senate % Change House % Change
Program Approp. Request bill From Req. bill From Req.
(In millions)
STRS $276.9 291.6 290.6 -0.3 280.5 -3.8
ATP 192.5 259.9 192.5 -25.9 180.2 -30.7
MEP 113.5 106.8 106.8 0 106.8 0
Constr. 95.0 56.7 56.7 0 56.7 0
TOTAL 677.9 715.0 646.7 -9.6 624.2 -12.7
Energy and Water Development: (H.R. 4060, S. 2138)
FYIs #88 , 94 , 102
The Energy and Water Development bill, which funds the Department of Energy’s non-defense research programs, was passed by the House on June 24 and the Senate on July 30. For the four science categories tracked by FYI - High Energy Physics (HEP), Nuclear Physics, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), and Fusion Energy Sciences - the Senate would provide the requested amount for each category except Fusion, for which it would provide more. The House would provide more than the request for each category except BES. It is worth noting, however, that the House Appropriations Committee report requires the use of prior- and current-year balances to make up the full recommended amounts. Additionally, on the Senate floor, an amendment was passed to increase funding for renewable energy research which might decrease the appropriations for the science programs cited above, although that remains to be determined in conference.
DOE FY98 FY99 Senate % Change House % Change
Program Approp. Request bill From Req. bill From Req.
(In millions)
HEP $680.0 691.0 691.0 0 696.5 +0.8
Nuclear 320.9 332.6 332.6 0 335.1 +0.8
BES 668.2 836.1 836.1 0 779.1 -6.8
Fusion 232.0 228.2 232.0 +1.7 232.0 +1.7
National Security/Defense: (H.R. 4103, S. 2132)
FYIs #89 , 102
The appropriations bill for the Department of Defense was passed by the House on June 24 and the Senate on July 30. Neither the House nor the Senate would provide as much as requested for Category 6.1, Basic Research. Both chambers would provide more than requested for Category 6.2, Applied Research. Category 6.3, Advanced Technology Development, would also receive more in both bills than requested.
DOD FY98 FY99 Senate % Change House % Change
Program Approp. Request bill From Req. bill From Req.
(In millions)
6.1 $1,042 1,111 1,105 -0.5 1,046 -5.9
6.2 2,996 3,020 3,093 +2.4 3,134 +3.8
6.3 3,762 3,050 3,378 +10.8 3,230 +5.9
VA/HUD/Independent Agencies: (H.R. 4194, S. 2168)
FYIs #90 , 95 , 97 , 106 , 107 , 113
The VA/HUD bill, which funds NSF and NASA, was passed by the Senate on July 23 and the House on August 6.
For NSF, the recommended House and Senate amounts are less than requested for total funding, and for Research and Related Activities (R&RA). For Major Research Equipment (MRE) and for Education and Human Resources (EHR), the Senate would provide the requested amount, while the House would provide less.
NSF FY98 FY99 Senate % Change House % Change
Program Approp. Request bill From Req. bill From Req.
(In millions)
R&RA $2,546 2,847 2,725 -4.3 2,815 -1.1
MRE 109 94 94 0 90 -4.3
EHR 633 683 683 0 643 -5.9
TOTAL 3,429 3,773 3,644 -3.4 3,697 -2.0
For NASA, the Senate would provide more in total funding than requested, while the House would provide less. The Senate chose to separate several NASA accounts into their component parts: Human Space Flight (HSF) would be separated into an International Space Station account and a Launch Vehicles and Payload Operations account; Science, Aeronautics and Technology (SAT) would be separated into Aeronautics and Space Transportation, and Science and Technology. For comparison purposes, these accounts have been recombined (see asterisks.)
NASA FY98 FY99 Senate % Change House % Change
Program Approp. Request bill From Req. bill From Req.
(In millions)
HSF $5,507 5,511 5,541* +0.5 5,309 -3.7
SAT 5,690 5,457 5,562* +1.9 5,542 +1.6
TOTAL 13,638 13,465 13,615 +1.1 13,328 -1.0
The House and Senate must meet in conference soon on these, and the rest of the funding bills. For any appropriations bills not signed by October 1, Congress must either pass a continuing resolution, or risk those programs shutting down for lack of funding.
