CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL
This Week’s Legislative Activity
Both Chambers are in session this week. The Senate will convene today at 3:00pm. The House will meet at 12:00pm for morning hour and at 2:00pm for legislative business, with votes postponed until 6:30pm.
FY2017 Appropriations Update
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee approved its Department of Defense (DoD) FY2017 appropriations bill. The bill would fund DoD Science & Technology at $13.028 billion, a $223 million increase from FY2016 enacted levels. Basic Research (6.1) would be funded at $2.124 billion, a $185 million decrease, while DARPA would be funded at $2.973 billion, an $82 million increase from FY2016 enacted.
The House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee approved its FY2017 bill which would fund the National Science Foundation (NSF) at $7.407 billion, $57 million less than FY2016 enacted. Under NSF, Research and Related Activities would receive $6.08 billion, a $46 million increase and Education and Human Resources would be level-funded at $880 million. Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction would receive $87.1 million, a $113 million decrease from the FY2016 enacted amount.
For NASA, the bill would provide $19.5 billion, a $223 million increase from the FY2016 enacted level. The Science Directorate would receive $5.597 billion, an increase of $8 million. Space Grant would be level-funded at $40 million. Aeronautics would receive $712 million, an increase of $72 million and Space Technology would receive $739 million, a $52 million increase. The House CJS appropriations report is expected to be released this week.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its Agriculture Appropriations bill. This measure would fund the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at $375 million, a $25 million increase from FY2016. The bill would also level-fund a number of extension and research and education activities accounts, including Hatch Act Funds and the Evans-Allen Program.
Click here to see the STATE UPDATE for May 23, 2016.