CONTENTS
BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS, TAX ISSUES
- House Approves FY16 Defense Appropriations Bill
- AAU Statement Criticizes Cut in Defense Basic Research Funding
- Senate FY16 Defense Appropriations Bill Would Slightly Increase Basic Research Funding
- Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY16 Commerce-Justice-Science Funding Bill
- House Subcommittee Would Level Fund NEH in FY16
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES
- House Judiciary Committee Approves Modified Innovation Act
- Associations Issue Statement Opposing Innovation Act
BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS, TAX ISSUES
HOUSE APPROVES OF FY16 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
The House on June 11 approved its version of the FY16 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 2685). The measure is the sixth of 12 FY16 appropriations bills that the House has passed.
The Science & Technology account is funded at $12.67 billion, which is $422 million, or 3.4 percent, above FY15 funding. Within that total, funding for 6.1 basic research is cut by $177 million, or 7.8 percent; funding for 6.2 applied research and 6.3 advanced technology development is increased by $190 million (4.1 percent) and $409 million (7.7 percent), respectively. AAU’s updated appropriations chart for Defense is available here.
AAU Statement Criticizes Cut In Defense Basic Research Funding
AAU on June 10 issued a statement criticizing the House FY16 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 2685) for its proposed cut of more than seven percent in funding for Defense 6.1 basic research. “Congress should be increasing the investment in Defense basic research, not cutting it,” said the statement.
The AAU statement notes that Department of Defense-funded basic research has led to such innovations as lasers, radar, fiber optics, infrared technologies, and advanced materials. The statement asserts that a cut to Defense basic research would be shortsighted because “it would mean a cut to future advancements in the capabilities and safety of our men and women in uniform.” It also notes that the cut was particularly difficult to understand given that the committee ignored the sequester-level budget caps, which it is applying only to nondefense appropriations bills.
SENATE FY16 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL WOULD SLIGHTLY INCREASE BASIC RESEARCH FUNDING
The Senate Appropriations Committee on June 11 approved its FY16 Defense appropriations bill with increased funding for research accounts of interest to AAU members, including a slight increase for 6.1 basic research. The bill provides $12.82 billion for science & technology (S&T), which is a $572 million, or 4.7 percent, increase above the FY15 funding level.
The bill, which, like the House bill, ignores the sequestration-level defense spending cap, would fund 6.1 basic research at $2.32 billion, an increase of $39.7 million, or 1.7 percent, above the FY15 level. The 6.2 applied research account would receive $4.93 billion, an increase of $280 million, or six percent, above FY15. The 6.3 advanced technology development account would receive $5.58 billion, an increase of $252 million, or 4.7 percent, above FY15.
The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the measure next week. Senate Democrats continue to say they will oppose any FY16 appropriations bills that advance beyond the committee level because they want to negotiate a budget compromise to raise the Budget Control Act caps for both defense and nondefense discretionary spending. As stated in the Appropriations Committee Democrats’ press release, “We need a new budget deal, in the spirit of Ryan-Murray, that stops hollowing out investments in America’s future.”
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES FY16 COMMERCE-JUSTICE-SCIENCE FUNDING BILL
The Senate Appropriations Committee on June 11 approved its FY16 Commerce-Justice-Science funding bill, with level funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a $279 million increase for NASA. The vote was 27 to 3.
The Committee press release describes funding for NSF and NASA as follows:
National Science Foundation (NSF) – The bill funds the NSF at $7.3 billion, maintaining the FY2015 enacted level. Funding is provided for basic research across all scientific disciplines and to support the development of effective Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics [STEM] programs and grow the next generation of scientists.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – The bill funds NASA at $18.3 billion, a $279 million increase over FY2015, to support the human and robotic exploration of space, fund science missions that enhance the understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe, and support fundamental aeronautics research. This includes:
· $1.9 billion for the Space Launch System (SLS), $200 million above the FY2015 enacted level and $544 million above the request. The SLS is the nation’s launch vehicle which will enable humans to explore space beyond our current capabilities. The funding maintains the current schedule for the first launch of SLS, and also provides critical funding for upper stage engine work for future crewed missions.
· $1.2 billion for the Orion crewed spacecraft, the same as the FY2015 enacted level and $104 million above the request. Orion is NASA’s crewed vehicle that is being designed to be able to take astronauts to destinations farther than ever before, including Mars.
· $5.3 billion for Science, $50 million above the FY2015 enacted level and $6.4 million above the request. This funding encompasses missions from the Earth, to the Moon, throughout the Solar system, and the far reaches of the universe.
· $2.5 billion for International Space Station (ISS) Crew and Cargo, an increase of $170 million over the comparable amount funded in FY2015. Within these funds, $900 million is included for ISS crew capabilities, $100 million over the FY2015 enacted level, to continue development of privately-owned crewed vehicles. Once developed and fully tested, these vehicles will help end the United States’ reliance on Russia for transporting American astronauts to and from the ISS.
· $600 million for Space Technology, $4 million above the FY2015 enacted level. Funding is included to advance projects that are early in development that will eventually demonstrate capabilities needed for future space exploration.
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD LEVEL FUND NEH IN FY16
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior-Related Agencies on June 10 approved by voice vote its FY16 funding bill. The measure would fund the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) at their respective FY15 funding levels of $146 million.
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior-Related Agencies is expected to mark up its companion spending bill next week.
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPROVES MODIFIED INNOVATION ACT
The House Judiciary Committee on June 11 marked up a modified version of Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) patent reform bill, the Innovation Act (H.R. 9). The bill was then reported out of committee by a vote of 24 to 8; Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) led the opposition to the bill.
A few amendments were offered that could have benefitted institutions of higher education and research foundations, but none were accepted.
Associations Issue Statement Opposing Innovation Act
In advance of the House Judiciary Committee markup of H.R. 9, the group of six higher education associations that have been working together on patent reform, including AAU, issued a statement that expressed opposition to both the underlying bill and the manager’s amendment.
The June 10 statement said, in part:
“We strongly support reducing abusive patent litigation practices, and prefer the direction of the Senate PATENT Act (S. 1137). H.R. 9 is not targeted to address the small minority of patent holders that are abusing the system. Rather the bill would weaken the entire patent system. H.R. 9 would make it far more difficult, risky, and costly for all patent holders to defend their rights in good faith, and thus seriously undermine the ability of universities to engage in technology transfer, the process by which universities make their research discoveries available to private sector enterprises for development into products.”