843 Organizations Urge Congress to Raise Spending Caps

The American Institute of Biological Sciences was among 843 national, state, and local organizations that called upon federal lawmakers to negotiate a new budget agreement that provides relief from budget sequestration for nondefense discretionary programs. An excerpt from the letter reads, “Congress and the President must work together to reach a new agreement that averts the cuts that would be required under the Budget Control Act and allows us to make smart investments in our nation’s future. In reaching an agreement, new investment must be balanced between nondefense and defense programs, as strong investments in both NDD and defense are necessary to keep our country competitive, safe, and secure.” Since 2013, budget sequestration has dramatically cut funding available for federal programs that support research, environmental stewardship, education, housing, foreign aid, and other programs. Congress has since reached three budget agreements, in 2013, 2015 and 2018, to lessen the extent of sequestration. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 expires on 1 October 2019. Unless amended, sequestration limits would be triggered resulting in cuts to federal programs. Nondefense spending would decrease by 9 percent or $54 billion and defense spending would be trimmed by 11 percent or $71 billion. Several science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news