Update on Non-Appropriations Items
While FYI has focused largely on appropriations in recent weeks, Congress also took action on some non-spending issues before leaving for the August recess. Below are updates on some non- appropriations items of interest.
SENATE BILL TO DOUBLE R&D FUNDING: On July 26, the Senate approved S. 296, a bill authorizing an approximate doubling of the federal investment in civilian research and development over the next 11 years. The bill, sponsored by Senators Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) and Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia), calls for R&D funding in specified departments and agencies to grow by 2.5 percent above inflation each of the 11 years (see FYI #81 ). It also contains requirements for performance measures and accountability. S. 296 passed the Senate by a unanimous consent agreement, which is usually used for noncontroversial bills. There was no opportunity for floor discussion. The bill has now been referred to the House Science Committee, where Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) so far has been opposed to such a sweeping, long-term authorization bill.
TEACHER EMPOWERMENT ACT IN THE SENATE: Two weeks after the House passed H.R. 1995, its Teacher Empowerment Act (see FYI #115 ), nine Republican Senators on August 3 introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The Senate bill (S. 1479), sponsored by Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire), would reauthorize and make changes to the teacher development portion of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), giving local education agencies some freedom to waive ESEA requirements. The House-passed bill insists that local education agencies receiving the grants “shall use not less than” the amount currently being used for science and math professional development unless it can be demonstrated that those development needs “have already been met.” Similar in most respects to the House bill but not identical, the Senate language states only that local agencies receiving certain federal funds “shall use a portion of the funds made available through the subgrant for professional development activities in mathematics and science.” The Administration opposes both bills because they would combine funds for President Clinton’s teacher-hiring initiative in a block grant with other teacher quality programs. As recently as August 20, according to the Washington Post, Clinton emphasized science and math teacher training, saying “we have to act now to build new schools and fix old ones, to hire trained teachers, especially in math and science, especially for our high schools.”
NEW HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Texas) has been named by the House Democratic Caucus to replace the late George Brown as Ranking Minority Member on the House Science Committee. “It is an honor to follow [Brown] as Ranking Democrat on the Science Committee,” Hall said, “and I look forward to continuing the good work that he has done to promote scientific research and discovery for the benefit of all Americans.” Hall has served on the Science Committee for all of his 10 terms in the House, and chaired the Science Committee’s Space Subcommittee during the 102nd and 103rd sessions of Congress. He has been a strong supporter of the International Space Station and has commented that “the space station is what has kept me in Congress,” according to Congressional Quarterly.
