News and updates

As noted yesterday, two of the Senate appropriations subcommittees approved the FY2019 Commerce-Justice-Science and Interior spending bills. While the detailed reports accompanying the bills are not yet available, some from the measures are known.

The CJS bill would fund some of the agencies in the following manner:

• $8.1 billion for NSF, $301 million above the FY2018 enacted level, including:
  • $6.56 billion for NSF’s research and research activities, an increase of $222 million above the current level;
  • $915 million for NSF’s education and training programs, an increase of $13 million above FY2018.

• $21.3 billion for NASA, $587 million above current level, including:
  • $6.4 billion for Science, $179 million above the FY2018 level, including $1.9 billion for Earth science, $2.2 billion for Planetary science, $1.5 billion for astrophysics (including $304 million for the Webb telescope), and $720 million for Heliophysics;
  • $725 million for Aeronautics, an increase of $40 million;
  • $933 million for Space Technology, $173-million increase.

• $5.48 billion for NOAA, a $426-million decrease below the current level, including $71 million for the Sea Grant program, which is a $6-million increase.

The Interior bill, which funds, among other agencies the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  It would appropriate $1.15 billion to the USGS and $155 million to the NEH.

We will continue to provide additional details as they become available.

Earlier today, two Senate subcommittees cleared for consideration by the full Appropriations Committee later this week two FY2019 spending bills of great interest to the University of Washington.

The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved its bill, which funds, among other agencies and programs, the U.S. Geological Service, the EPA, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee adopted its measure, which provides funding for NSF, NASA, and NOAA, as well as other programs and agencies.

The full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up the two bills on Thursday.

The House versions of the bills have already been approved by the Appropriations Committee in that chamber.