WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved an omnibus appropriations package for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, which includes funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“Although we are encouraged to see Congress advance an appropriations package that provides top-line budget increases for these key agencies, the uneven distribution of funding between the agricultural, physical, and health sciences exacerbates longstanding disparities and needlessly limits our nation’s research capacity,” said TSC President John Latini. “USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), DOE’s Office of Science, and NIH each facilitate the fundamental research that defines the American scientific enterprise. It is disappointing federal lawmakers would settle for funding levels that essentially reinforce historic patterns of underinvestment, like that experienced by NIFA, despite its well-documented returns on investment and the increased top-line for overall discretionary appropriations in fiscal year 2022.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is only one of numerous challenges ahead for the United States. Predictable federal investment in fundamental research across disciplines is an insurance policy for the future, building an established knowledge base to draw from while cultivating the STEM workforce to see us through. As the Senate Appropriations Committee takes up its appropriations work, we urge them to prioritize robust, stable investment befitting the global research leader.”
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About the Science Coalition
Established in 1994, The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness.