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PRESIDENT BUSH SENDS THE FY 2002 BUDGET REQUEST TO THE HILL The Bush Administration this week forwarded its first budget request to the Congress. The $1.96 trillion request for FY 2002 spending would increase funding for several agencies, most notably the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Education, while curtailing spending at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy. Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate will continue hearings on the FY 2002 request following the Easter Recess. Of particular note are the following proposed FY 2002 budgets for selected science and engineering mission agencies: * Department of Defense (DOD): a total of $325 billion, an increase of $14 billion or nearly four percent, over the current level. Research and development (R&D) would be increased by $20 million over the period FY 2002 to FY 2006, with 20 percent of that amount allocated to programs to advance military technology. Refer to http://www.dtic.mil/comptroller/for additional information. * Department of Energy (DOE): a decrease of two percent to a total of $19.2 billion. Energy resources programs would be cut by eight percent, including a 13 percent reduction in energy efficiency and renewable energy spending. Funding for fossil energy programs would be increased by one percent. Refer to http://www.cfo.doe.gov/budget/02budget/index.htm for more detailed information. * Department of Transportation (DOT): Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) would receive $110 million, an increase of $12 million over the current budget. Of that amount, $54 million would be allocated to RSPA's pipeline safety efforts, up from $47 million in the current year. $12 million in new user fees levied on the pipeline industry would offset the $12 million budget increase. For additional information, refer to http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/budget/4budget.htm. * National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): an increase of two percent to $114.5 billion. The allotment for science, aeronautics and technology would remain flat at $6.2 billion. More information may be found at http://ifmp.nasa.gov/codeb/about/budget.htm. * National Science Foundation (NSF): an increase of 1.3 percent, or $56 million, for a total FY 2002 budget request of $4.47 billion. Of that total, $200 million will be allocated to the No Child Left Behind: Math and Science Partnerships Initiative, a program linking K-12 education with higher education. The priority area of Nanotechnology Science and Engineering would receive a 16.1 percent increase to $174 million. Funding for the Engineering Directorate would remain unchanged at $431.05 million. Refer to http://www.nsf.gov/home/budget/start.htm for more detailed information. * Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the proposed budget of $7.3 billion is almost a half billion dollars less than its current budget. Funding for EPA's scientific activities, principally administered by the Office of Research and Development, would be cut by 7.8 percent. Additional information is available at http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/budget/budget.htm. ASME's Inter-Council Committee on Federal R&D (ICC) will meet in Washington, DC on April 23-24 to analyze the Bush Administration's FY 2002 budget request and its implications for the mechanical engineering community. For additional information on the ICC, contact Reese Meisinger at 202.785.3756 or at meisingerr@asme.org. "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" PROPOSAL INTRODUCED AS HR 1 The President's education proposal, "No Child Left Behind," would give states and local schools more flexibility in the use of federal education dollars in exchange for greater accountability of results. The measure includes a provision on school choice, termed a "safety valve" for students trapped in chronically underachieving schools. H.R. 1 would also call for the annual testing of public school students in reading and math in grades 3-8. Detailed information on the President's education initiative may be viewed at http://edworkforce.house/gov/issues/107th/education/nclb/nclb.htm. House lawmakers are considering a number of K-12 education proposals in addition to H.R. 1, including a Democratic-sponsored bill (H.R. 340) that calls for higher spending and fewer policy changes, and a more centrist proposal (H.R. 345) that combines the higher spending favored by the Democrats with the accountability measure of the Administration's proposals. Those bills may be viewed by logging onto http://thomas.loc.gov/ and then searching by bill number, e.g. H.R. 340 or H.R. 354. For additional information on K-12 education legislation, contact Patti Burgio at 202.785.7356 or at burgiop@asme.org. NSF DOUBLING BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE Legislation authorizing 15 percent annual increases in the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) budget, together with a 13 percent increase in FY 2002, would double the NSF's budget over the period 2002-2005. Introducing H.R. 1472, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a member of the House Science Committee, observed, "NSF's budget must be increased so that children of all races and both genders receive the basic grounding in science and mathematics that will prepare them to pursue careers as scientists, engineers and technologists." H.R. 1472 would allow NSF to continue initiatives in the areas of nanotechnology, biodiversity, information technology, mathematical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. To view the full text of H.R. 1472, click on http://thomas.loc.gov/, and then search by bill number, e.g., H.R. 1472. Rep. Johnson joined a dozen other House members in sending a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) urging that appropriators place a high priority on funding for NSF. The letter stated that "research funded by NSF has helped drive our economy, protect and prolong our health and . . is crucial as a basis for the innovation and productivity at all other federal research agencies." For additional information on the NSF FY 2002 budget request, contact Patti Burgio at 202.785.3756 or at burgiop@asme.org.
For additional information, contact the Government Relations Department at the ASME Washington Center at mailto:%20grdept@asme.org or (202) 785-3756.
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