More on Science Funding

The non-deterministic blog has posted a roundup of our responses to their question about justifying science funding to the public.

On a related note, I recently received an update on the status of funding for biomedical research in the United States. In my last report, I pointed out that the House of Representatives approved a $600 million increase for the NIH FY2007 budget. The Senate passed an amendment to provide an additional $7 billion for health, education and labor programs. President Cuckoo Bananas' original budget kept the funding for health programs flat (without even an increase for inflation).

The newest update from the Genetics Society of America (GSA) describes the next steps in the approval of a new budget. The House and Senate will now attempt to come to a Budget Resolution. I have reproduced an email from the GSA below the fold.

Dear GSA Member,

The Congressional budget and appropriations processes are well underway and the Genetics Society of America (GSA), the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) through the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy (JSCPP) have been actively involved in the effort to make additional funding available for important health research programs. And, we are not done yet.

As you know, the Senate increased funding for important health, education and worker safety programs by $7.1 billion. We are very appreciative of the extraordinary efforts of Senators Specter and Harkin to reach that goal.

The House situation is more complex. Appropriations Committee Chair Jerry Lewis moved about $4.0 billion from nondomestic spending to domestic spending through the committee allocation process. Then, led by Representatives Castle, Johnson of Connecticut, and Reichert, the House added language that keeps open the possibility of moving $3.1 billion more into domestic priorities later in the year.

We know, of course, that our work is not done. The Budget Resolution remains to be conferenced between the House and Senate and it is possible that no compromise will be reached due to the significant differences between the two resolutions. In addition, the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bills have yet to be written and critical decisions are not yet made concerning funding for the National Institutes of Health and other important health and science research programs.

The GSA will continue to work closely with our allies in the health research advocacy community and in the Congress to obtain the highest possible appropriations for these key programs. Key Congressional players in the Appropriations process are indicating that it is highly uncertain that additional funds will become available later in the year; if additional funds do become available, there will be competing priorities in addition to health and biomedical research. It is going to require an intensive effort to achieve additional funding levels this year, and GSA and other groups will need our members and supporters across the country to be prepared to weigh in repeatedly to press Representatives to take necessary actions as specific votes arise before and after the Fall elections.

We will continue to keep you advised of key decision points when it is essential that you make your voice heard.

Thank you again for your participation and support in these important matters.