FY2008 BUDGET RESOLUTION

On March 15, 2007, the Senate Budget Committee marked up its “Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for fiscal year (FY) 2008.”

More Details >

ACTIVITIES INVOLVING PRESIDENT'S FY2008 BUDGET REQUEST

• FASEB Encourages Senate to Support Dear Colleague Letter to Increase NSF’s Budget
   

• VA Chief Research and Development Officer Testifies before House Committee
   

• House Appropriations Hearing on NIH
   

• Question and Answer Session

More Details >

INSIDE (The Beltway) SCOOP
- Jon Retzlaff, Legislative Director

The Senate Budget Committee took a huge step in the right direction this week when it approved an FY2008 budget that would provide additional spending for non-defense discretionary spending and expressed its support for providing NIH with an increase in FY2008 of at least $700 million above the President’s request. While documents provided by the Budget Committee did not specifically reference their intent to increase NIH’s budget by at least $700 million above the President’s request in FY2008, budget committee staff clearly communicated this information during the Budget Committee mark-up and in response to a question from Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member, Judd Gregg (R-NH).

 More Details >

CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES AFFECTING SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY - STEM CELLS AND USDA RESEARCH

Stem Cells
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has indicated that he plans to bring up the bi-partisan stem-cell bill that passed both chambers last year but was vetoed by President Bush. The measure to expand stem cell research has been heralded as a top priority for Democrats, but with the budget debate and emergency spending bill on tap before Congress leaves for recess the first week of April, it appears that leaders now expect to bring up the bill after Easter. There are strong indications that Democrats and Republicans are close to agreeing on a streamlined process to debate the bill to allow
federal funding of research on stem cells derived from human embryos that are donated by fertility clinics and would be slated for destruction anyway, as well as a single Republican alternative measure.

More Details >

CONGRESSIONAL BILLS

On February 28, 2007, the House Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies sponsored a hearing on science funding. Norman R. Augustine, Retired Chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Dr. Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science, testified. Mr. Augustine chaired a National Academy of Sciences panel that examined what "actions policy makers could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so that the United States can successfully compete, prosper and be secure in the global community of the 21st Century."

More Details >

UPCOMING HEARINGS

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on FY 2008 Budget

More Details >

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

The House and Senate are in session.

More Details >