FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Both Budgets Would Likely Widen, Not Close, the Nation’s Innovation Deficit
Following is a statement by the Association of American Universities on the FY16 budget resolutions approved last week by the House and Senate Budget Committee and expected to be considered this week in the full House and Senate:
The budget resolutions under consideration in the House and Senate this week are a serious disappointment to those who believe that the nation needs sustained investments in scientific research and higher education. Both budgets – and particularly the House budget – would impose deep additional cuts on nondefense discretionary spending, the area of federal spending that includes most of our nation’s investments in education, discovery, and innovation.
Both budgets would likely force reductions in research and higher education funding. The House budget would not only make it nearly impossible to fund higher education programs adequately in annual appropriations but also deeply cut investments in the Pell Grant and student loan programs, thereby making college less accessible for millions of Americans. The reality is that both budgets would likely widen, not close, the nation’s innovation deficit. And therefore both would take this country in the wrong direction.
With our investments in scientific research having flattened out and competitor nations pouring resources into research and higher education, we face a significant innovation deficit that threatens our nation’s global economic preeminence. A budget that makes it virtually impossible to help close the innovation deficit is the wrong approach, and we urge Congress to reject these budget blueprints.
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The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an association of 60 U.S. and two Canadian public and private research universities. It focuses on issues such as funding for research, research policy issues, and graduate and undergraduate education. AAU member universities are on the leading edge of innovation, scholarship, and solutions that contribute to the nation's economy, security, and wellbeing. AAU’s 60 U.S. universities award nearly one-half of all U.S. doctoral degrees and 55 percent of those in STEM fields.
Follow AAU on Twitter at @AAUniversities.