CR Signed, Now What?

Posted on September 30, 2019

On Friday, President Trump signed the first continuing resolution of FY2020, buying everyone time until the end of November 21 to figure out the next steps in the appropriations process.

Fights over the border wall and abortion were going to be difficult enough to resolve; the new battles over impeachment will make the entire legislative process even more unpredictable. Although the majority of Congress left town last Friday on a two-week recess, those involved in impeachment will continue to work on their investigations.

Spending Details Now Available

Posted on September 27, 2019

The Senate Appropriations Committee has made available the details of the spending bills it cleared yesterday.

The text of the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) bill is available here and a copy of the report is available here.

The committee has also posted the Interior spending measure and the accompanying report.

With respect to what is in the bills, the Senate CJS legislation would:

Fund the National Science Foundation at $8.32 billion, an increase of $242 million above the current level.
- Within NSF, the Research and Related Activities Account would receive $6.77 billion, an increase of approximately $250 million above current levels.
- Activities funded through the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Account would be funded at $253 million, which is $42.5 million below the current level. The committee funds the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope at the Administration-requested level.
- Education and Human Resources would see a total of $937 million under this bill.
Fund NASA at $22.75 billion, $1.25 billion above the FY2019 level.
- The Science Mission Directorate would be funded at $6.91 billion.
  - Within Science, the bill proposes to fund the various accounts in the following manner:
    - Earth Science: $1.945 billion
    - Planetary Science: $2.631 billion
    - Astrophysics: $1.171 billion
      - $445.7 million for WFIRST
    - Heliophysics: $735.0 million
  - Aeronautics: $725.0 million
  - Space Technology: $926.9 million
  - STEM Engagement: $112.0 million
    - Space Grant: $47.0 million

The Interior Appropriations Bill also funds a number of agencies, programs, and accounts of interest to UW as well. For example, the committee-approved bill would fund the National Endowment for the Humanities at $157.0 million, $2 million above the current level.

In addition, the bill also funds, among other agencies and programs, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Within USGS, the report includes the following language with respect to the Climate Adaptation Science Centers:

The new Climate Adaption Science Center sub activity receives $44,488,000. The recommendation includes funding to maintain the fiscal year 2019 levels for the Centers. It is the Committee’s expectation that funding will be distributed according to the allocation methodology in previous years ensuring all Centers remain open and at current levels.

It also contains the following text with respect to the early earthquake warning system:

Natural Hazards.—The bill includes $170,838,000 for Natural Hazards programs. Within the Earthquake Hazards program, the Committee continues to support the multitude of regional earthquake initiatives, but is concerned about the budget structure for each network as it relates to operations, maintenance, and infrastructure; therefore, the Committee directs the Survey to report back within 90 days after enactment of this act with a breakdown of funding between the operations, maintenance, and infrastructure expenditures in 2018 and 2019 along with recommendations on how to better structure the funding for these initiatives. This recommendation provides funding to ensure all the regional networks receive 2019 base funding level for operations and maintenance, including earthquake early warning and the Central and Eastern USNetwork [CEUSN]. Within these amounts, the Committee directs that regional networks which recently acquired the USArray stations from the National Science Foundation receive $3,000,000 for the operations and maintenance as these networks work to incorporate and use all Earthscope data. On top of base operations and maintenance for each network, the recommendation includes $17,500,000 for equipment and infrastructure costs. The Committee is also concerned that the updates to the national seismic hazard maps do not consistently include all 50 States and directs the Survey to update these maps for all 50 States, not just the lower 48, and provides $2,000,000 for this effort.

The Committee is concerned about the lack of knowledge and real time instrumentation available for the Cascadia subduction zone; therefore, the Committee encourages the continued development of a system for Cascadia that will help prepare for and mitigate the negative human and economic impacts of a major seismic event.

The Cooperative Research Units, also funded by the USGS, would receive $18.4 million next year, the same amount as this year.

We will provide further details as the process moves forward.

Walking and Chewing Gum at the Same Time… For Now

Posted on September 26, 2019

While the Director of National Intelligence was testifying on the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Appropriations Committee took up five FY2020 appropriations bills today: Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS); Interior; Homeland Security; Legislative Branch; and State-Foreign Operations. We will provide details about the bills of greatest interest to UW as soon as they become available.

While the committee process moved forward, none of the 12 spending bills have been signed into law. The Senate passed the House-adopted CR earlier this afternoon 82-15, sending it to the President’s desk. While the White House has signaled that the President will sign it into law, thus keeping the government open through mid-November. However, with the recent political developments, what happens after this CR expires is anyone’s guess.

Adding More Fuel to the Fire

Posted on September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

As expected, three more Senate Appropriations subcommittees cleared their respective spending bills yesterday: Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior, and Homeland Security. As predicted, the markup of the Homeland Security bill proved to be the most controversial, as that bill contains $5 billion for the border wall sought by the President. Amendments to all three bills will be considered at the full committee markup, scheduled for tomorrow

While details about the measures will not be available until after the committee’s activities tomorrow, some initial information about the funding levels for a number of research agencies of interest to UW is available. For example, the Republican press release on the bill provides for the following:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – $22.75 billion for NASA, $1.25 billion above the FY2019 enacted level, reflecting the need to fund infrastructure for human spaceflight to support for the accelerated plan to return to the moon by 2024 while supporting NASA’s science, technology development, aeronautics, and education activities. Using the same account funding structure as in previous years, this includes:

$6.2 billion for Exploration, $1.2 billion above the FY2019 enacted level, to advance NASA’s human exploration program by providing $2.586 billion for the Space Launch System (SLS), $1.4 billion for the Orion crewed spacecraft to continue development of NASA’s next deep-space crewed capsule, $500 million for the proposed Lunar “Gateway,” and $744 million in funding for crewed lunar landers.
$6.9 billion for Science, equal to the FY2019 enacted amount, including $1.9 billion for Earth science, $2.6 billion for Planetary science, $1.2 billion for astrophysics, $423 million for the Webb telescope, and $735 million for Heliophysics.
$784 million for Aeronautics, which is $59 million above the FY2019 enacted level. The funding will allow for ongoing low sonic boom experimental plane development, as well as supporting research in unmanned aircraft safety and airspace integration, and advanced aircraft composite and materials research.
$112 million is provided for the NASA’s STEM Engagement education programs, which were proposed to be eliminated in the budget request. Within STEM Engagement, Space Grant is funded at $47 million, NASA’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is funded at $22 million, the Minority University Research and Education Project is funded at $33 million, and STEM Education and Accountability projects is funded at $10 million.
$1.076 billion is provided for Space Technology, $149 million above the FY2019 enacted level. Funding is included to advance projects in early stages of development that are expected to eventually demonstrate capabilities needed for future space exploration.

National Science Foundation (NSF) – $8.317 billion for NSF, $242 million above the FY2019 enacted level. Funding is provided for basic research across scientific disciplines to support the development of effective STEM programs.

The bill provides $249 million above the FY2019 level for research and $27 million above FY2019 level for education activities. These funds will allow NSF to provide more grants to highly competitive research projects and help provide opportunities to prepare the next generation of STEM leaders.
$190 million is provided for EPSCoR, an increase of $14 million above the FY2019 enacted level.

Meanwhile, the following information about NOAA comes from the Democratic side of the committee:

NOAA Research and Grants. The bill rejects the administration’s request to cut funding for climate, weather, and oceans research by 41 percent, and instead funds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) research at $572 million. Additionally, the bill again rejects the proposal to eliminate successful NOAA programs like Sea Grant, Coastal Zone Management (CZM) grants, the National Ocean and Coastal Security Fund, and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). The Sea Grant program is funded at $75 million, $7 million above the fiscal year 2019 level, which yields $575 million in economic activity and supports 12,500 jobs and 1,300 American businesses. CZM grants are funded at $76.5 million, $1 million above the fiscal year 2019 level, and the National Ocean and Coastal Security Fund is funded at the fiscal year 2019 level of $30 million. Our coasts and Great Lakes contribute about $350 billion to the economy annually and these State-Federal partnerships support sustainable economic development and environmental restoration. The bill also provides a $19 million increase above the fiscal year 2019 level to implement the new Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Weather Satellites. This bill provides $755 million to continue construction of NOAA’s three new Polar Weather Satellites, equal to the fiscal year 2020 request. Polar satellites provide 85 percent of the data used to forecast the weather, and are a vital component of Americans’ personal, property, and economic security. One-third of U.S. GDP is affected by climate and weather, including farmers trying to protect livestock and crops, cities relying on energy from wind turbines and solar panels, and air travelers trying to get home safely and on time. Last year, the United States experienced 14 separate weather and climate disasters that cost more than $1 billion dollars each. These storms would have cost far more and posed even greater threats to human safety without sufficient warning. The bill also provides $304 million for NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) weather satellites, equal to the fiscal year 2020 request

NOAA Ships. The bill provides $75 million for a portion of a third NOAA ocean survey vessel. NOAA currently has 15 ships in its aging fleet, with one vessel coming offline unexpectedly earlier this year. Further, that number will dwindle to 8 vessels by 2028. The Committee has recently funded two additional vessels, but to maintain its current oceanographic capacity, NOAA needs to build not two but eight additional vessels in the next several years, as construction takes eight to ten years per ship. These vessels enable NOAA to map the ocean floor, support weather forecasts, conduct oceanographic and climate research, and improve ecosystem and fisheries management. The bill also provides $60 million to improve NOAA’s existing vessels’ state of good repair.

With respect to the Interior bill, the Democratic press release includes the following bit of information:

Cultural Programs.—The bill provides $157 million each to the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, an increase of $2 million more for each endowment than the fiscal year 2019 enacted level, rejecting the Administration’s proposal to terminate these programs. The bill provides $1.047 billion for the Smithsonian Institution, $4.1 million above fiscal year 2019 and $69.3 million above the President’s budget request. Funding for the National Gallery of Art is increased to $172.2 million, and funding for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts increases to $43.29 million.

At the same time, the Republican press release includes the following information about the U.S. Geological Survey:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) – $1.2 billion for the USGS, an increase of $49 million above the FY2019 enacted level. Within this amount, there are important program increases for energy and mineral resources, natural hazards, water resources, and deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects.

As noted before, there already was a significant amount of disagreement before yesterday afternoon between the two sides on how to move forward with respect to appropriations because of differences on a host of issues, not the least of which was the border wall. The House Democrats’ inquiry into possibly impeaching the President could add another wrinkle to not only the appropriations process but to governing as a whole.

After the announcement by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) yesterday afternoon about the inquiry, the White House agreed to release the transcript of the call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. It was released earlier today.

How much more fuel will be added to the political fire? Can the various actors walk and chew gum at the same time? Stay tuned.

How Far Can They Get?

Posted on September 23, 2019

Even with significant disagreements between the two parties on a host of issues still on the table, the Senate appropriators are scheduled to try to move this week four of the spending bills for FY2020, which starts next Tuesday, October 1.

On Tuesday, three subcommittees are expected to take up their respective bills: Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior, and Homeland Security. All three measures are expected to be controversial. The markup of the Interior legislation is likely to spark debate on the Administration’s recent attempts to change environmental regulations while the CJS bill markup will likely touch on, among other others, adequate funding for the 2020 census as well as jostling on gun measures and immigration. The FY2020 Homeland Security appropriations measure scheduled to be taken up tomorrow may prove to the most contentious, as Republicans will seek to include additional funding for a border wall, as requested by the President.

At this point in time, the full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up these three bills along with the Legislative Branch legislation during its markup on Thursday. Even if the appropriations process gets that far, it remains to be seen what happens after that, as Congress is slated to take a two-week recess starting next Monday. Deep divisions still remain, especially with respect to how much money is available to each of the 12 spending bills as well as the Administration’s push to transfer funds primarily from the Defense and Labor-HHS-Education measures for the border wall.

With the assumption that none of the 12 spending bills will be signed into law by the end of next Monday, the Senate is expected to act this week on a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through November 21. The House approved it last week by a vote of 301 – 123. Assuming it is adopted by the Senate, the President must still sign it into law.