Have You Signed Up for the BPS Congressional Districts Visits Program Yet?
Did you know that 94% of Congressional staff indicate that constituent visits have some or a lot of influence on their boss’s positions?
Next month, members of Congress will be spending an extended period of time in their home states and districts. This is the perfect time to set up a meeting at his/her local district office or invite the representative or senator to tour your research lab. These meetings are a great way to make a connection and show your politicians the research taking place right there in their district.
Don’t be intimidated! The Society is here to assist you in the process. Sign up to participate by July 26 (date extended!) and Society staff will guide you through the process, from how to setup the meeting to coaching to preparing you for the meeting and providing materials you can use. Sign up Today!
President Trump Nominates Paul Dabbar for Key Department of Energy Position
President Donald Trump has nominated Paul Dabbar to serve as Under Secretary for Science at the Department of Energy. In the past, the Under Secretary for Science oversaw the Office of Science and the DOE applied energy offices. Dabbar is currently the Managing Director for Mergers and Acquisitions for J.P. Morgan. Dabbar received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, and an MBA from Columbia University. The Senate plans to hold a confirmation hearing on Thursday, July 20.
Appropriations News
House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves $1.1 billion increase for NIH
On Thursday, July 13, the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee met and approved its FY 2018 spending bill, with all Republicans voting for the bill and all Democrats voting against it. The bill provides $35.2 billion, a $1.1 billion or 3.1 percent increase, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-NY) noted in her remarks that while she was in favor of the increase for NIH, she could not vote in favor of the bill because of the lack of funding for many of the programs covered by the bill. Subcommittee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) stated, “We need to continue to build upon the $2 billion increase provided in last year's omnibus, and indeed $2 billion the year before, and I view this mark set forth today as a floor, not as a ceiling for biomedical research funding.” The full House appropriations committee is expected to consider the bill this week.
House Appropriations Committee Passes FY 2018 NSF Budget Bill
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies funding bill on July 13 by a vote of 31 to 21. If enacted, NSF would receive $7.34 billion, a reduction of $132.67 million (1.8 percent) from the FY 2017 enacted amount. Approximately $131.12 million of the reduction comes out of the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account, with the remainder coming from the Agency Operations and Award Management account. The research and related activities account, which is where most investigator initiated research funding comes from, is funded at the current level of $6 billion. The bill report and summary are available on the committee's website.
Biophysical Society Asks Congress to Raise FY 2018 Spending Caps
The Biophysical Society joined other organizations in sending a letter to House and Senate leaders asking them to consider spending cap increases for FY 2018. The letter, coordinated by Research!America, was signed by over 200 organizations. Currently Congress is constrained in appropriating funds for FY 2018 by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) that lowers the funding levels each year through 2021. Congress has negotiated a higher level of spending than provided by the BCA for the past several years but there is currently no agreement in place for FY 2018.
NDD United, a group that represents the interests of nondefense discretionary programs of which the BPS is a member, also sent a letter to the leadership of the House appropriations committee expressing concern over the appropriations bills for the FY 2018. The letter indicates that the amount of funding allocated for the nondefense programs is not sufficient for these programs to function properly. In addition, the increases provide for defense programs at the expense of nondefense programs violates the BCA spending caps and breaks the longstanding bipartisan parity principle that requires relief to the caps to be applied equally to defense and nondefense programs.
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