This week Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess to consider FY08 supplemental appropriations bills. Most of the money in the supplemental bills is for continued funding of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Senate version at least also contains provisions for $1.2B appropriations to the various federal science agencies. If enacted into law, this bill would correct the disappointing FY08 appropriations for science that became law back in December 2007.
You can be a part of the process by writing to your Senators and Represenative in Congress and encourage them to pass the $1.2B supplemental appropriations for science.
Write to your Members of Congress now
The President has been threatening a veto of the bill if it contains any domestic spending. The thinking has been to agree on the war funding now, then deal with domestic spending later.
That does not seem to be politically possible because despite the President's veto threat, on May 15th the full Senate approved -by a veto-proof majority- an FY08 supplemental appropriation bill that includes domestic spending provisions, including $1.2B for the various science agencies. The letters that many NSBP members and supporters sent to Senators, as well as the calls made to their offices, undoubtedly played a role in moving the Senate to take this action.
The House had considered and eventually voted down a version of the bill did not include such provisions for science. The House was more deferential to the President, and there is a group of key House Democrats that are concerned about the overall cost of the bill.
The House will eventually approve some version of the supplemental appropriations bill. But before the appropriations becomes law, and the funding becomes available to support science, including student and postdoc stipends, there are two major steps that must be taken. First, the House and the Senate versions must be same before it can go to the President for signature. The two versions will be reconciled via a conference committee, and there must be a final revote in both chambers approving this committee's final version of the bill. Second, the President must actually sign the bill.
Letting your views be known with your Senators, your Representative and the White House will definitely encourage them to take the necessary actions to correct the FY08 budget for science. NSBP encourages you to call and write your Senators and Representative today.
Rating: 0.00 / 5.00
-
0 ratings
For additional information on this Science Policy article, please contact:
Peter Delfyett
(703) 536-4207
Source: National Society of Black Physicists
Related Documents:
Other Recent Articles:
Return to Physics & Astronomy Articles Search
•
del.icio.us
digg
facebook