NSF Congressional Update
May 15, 1997
Highlights On the Hill
Budget Agreement Remains Stalled as Congressional
Leaders Continue to Negotiate
Supplemental Spending Bill to be Considered
- Initial Rule on the Bill is Defeated
NSF to Participate in Hearing on the Small Business
Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Program
Science Committee Chair Sensenbrenner Gives
Hope to U.S. Participation in the Large Hadron
Collider (LHC)
Mark-up of Congressional Budget Resolutions Delayed
This week the House and Senate Budget Committees had
hoped to mark-up versions of the Budget Agreement
hammered out between congressional leaders and the
White House. However, last minute snags have delayed
markups as budget negotiators seek to find agreement
on the final details of budget plan that would balance
the budget by the year 2002. Currently, the impact
this budget agreement will have on NSF and other federal
science programs is unclear and will not be known
fully until after the resolutions are announced, both
parties have stated that the science is a priority
in the agreement.
Supplemental Spending Bill to be Considered on
House Floor - Rule is Defeated
The House is expected to revisit consideration of
the emergency supplemental spending legislation after
eleven House Republicans joined with Democrats to
defeat the rule bringing the bill, H.R. 1469, to the
floor. The bill now returns to the Rules Committee
where the GOP leadership must work with several members
dissatisfied over the types of amendments that would
be allowed on the bill.
NSF to Participate in Hearing on STTR before House
Small Business Subcommittee
NSF will participate in a hearing on May 22 on the
reauthorization of the STTR program. The hearing will
be held by the subcommittee on Government Programs
and Oversight of the House Small Business Committee.
Witnesses will include representatives of the small
business community, government agencies participating
in STTR - including NSF, SBA and DoD - and the General
Accounting Office. STTR was originally authorized
as a pilot program in 1992 for three years (with a
one year extension in 1996) and Congress is seeking
to consider a multi-year reauthorization of the program.
Sensenbrenner May Support U.S. LHC Funding After
Receiving Assurances from Energy Dept.
At a May 15 hearing of the House Science Committee
on the Department of Energy, Committee Chairman Sensenbrenner
told DoE Secretary Frederico Pena that the Science
Committee would revisit its previous opposition to
LHC funding.
Sensenbrenner noted in a statement that he was pleased
with DoE's willingness to address his concerns about
U.S. participation in LHC construction at CERN. "The
Committee staff have been working closely to develop
acceptable changes to the February agreement. I am
hopeful that we can come to closure on this issue
very soon," Chairman Sensenbrenner said.
Sensenbrenner stated several reasons for his uneasiness
about the draft U.S.-CERN agreement, including the
lack of a formal management role for the U.S. despite
the substantial financial contribution, the reduction
of contributions from other CERN members, the impact
of LHC cost overruns on the U.S.'s planned experimental
program at the facility, and the refusal of CERN to
commit to an "Open Access" policy for U.S.
scientists.
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