WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 1996 -- The latest budget proposals from the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee would reduce funding for nondefense R&D programs by about 25 percent by 2002, according to a new analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Last month, AAAS estimated that the Administration's budget would reduce nondefense R&D
funding by 11.7 percent. The Association revised the figure to 24.5 percent following an
assessment by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which indicated that Clinton's
projections would not balance the budget by 2002. The
new AAAS analysis takes into account a footnote in the President's budget indicating that he would cut discretionary spending as
necessary if CBO found his initial proposal did not balance.
The House's proposed FY 1997 Budget Resolution would reduce nondefense R&D by 24.4 percent over the next seven years. The bill has been passed by the House Budget Committee, and awaits approval by the full House and Senate.
The detailed calculations and assumptions used to develop these estimates can be found on AAAS's R&D Budget and Policy Page. They will be updated as new information becomes available. To view a table of projected federal spending on nondefense R&D FY 1995-2002 which compares the President's FY 1997 budget and House FY 1997 Budget Resolution, follow this link.