The FY25 budget process is beginning to take shape. In the House, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, announced proposed spending levels for each subcommittee’s 302(b)s and provided a tentative markup schedule. The ambitious schedule, if adhered to, would only take five workweeks with Congress in session. In the Senate Committees are hearing from agency leadership this week.
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NIH and IES
In this House proposal, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS) subcommittee, would receive only $184.5 billion, a steep decrease from FY24’s LHHS’s 302(b) which was $222.2 billion. The L-HHS appropriation includes ARPA-H, NIH, and IES.
The Coalition for Health Funding (CHF) circulated a letter which FABBS signed on to, requesting a 302(b) allocation “that ensures robust and sustained investments.” It notes that “The programs and services funded by the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee have a profound impact on health and well-being, child development, educational and skills attainment, and productivity.”
CHF issued a statement criticizing the proposed spending levels, explaining that these cuts “are a shortsighted, ineffective, and irresponsible way to address the larger fiscal challenges facing our country” and concludes that “There is a governing majority in the House of Representatives in support of funding levels for critical investments beyond what these allocations allow.”
NSF
The House majority’s 302(b) proposal includes $78.3 billion for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) subcommittee (CJS received $69.8 in FY24). While the number for FY25 appears to be meaningfully higher than FY24, the science advocacy community is still trying to understand the implications of recissions. The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), of which FABBS serves as a co-chair, issued a letter requesting the highest possible allocation for CJS. CNSF notes that robust funding is needed “for addressing the challenges facing our nation, including protecting our national security; enhancing innovation, economic growth, and prosperity; ensuring our resilience; and promoting safety and justice.”
Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, PhD, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and former National Science Board Chair, Dan Reed, PhD, testified to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on May 16. They made the case for increased funding to NSF and explained the agency’s priorities for 2025 and beyond. All of this comes after a difficult FY24 appropriations process that included an 8 percent cut of NSF’s funding compared to FY23.
Both Panchanathan and Reed called for increased funding so that the agency can meet its full potential across wide-ranging objectives including: supporting innovative research; ensuring that K-12 students are provided with an excellent STEM education; and to support people from diverse backgrounds to pursue science-related jobs and research.
During the hearing, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) emphasized that funding for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), “must not come at the expense of the rest of NSF.” This is a key priority for FABBS, as the NSF funds important programs and centers that support the behavioral and cognitive sciences.
