For US Members of Taxacom -- Help Yourself!

[James Beach]

>
>Senate Appropriations Committee Funds National Science Foundation at
>Requested Amount
>Biocomplexity Initiative Fully Funded
>Letters and Calls Needed to Bring House Appropriations to Senate Level
>
>September  22, 1999
>
>[HTML version of this update can be found at
>http://www.cnie.org/updates/60.htm]
>
>The U.S. Senate appropriations committee has voted to provide $3.921
>billion in funding for the National Science Foundation in fiscal year
>2000.  This  is the same level as the budget requested by the
>Administration. The funding includes full funding ($50 million) for
>NSF's new biocomplexity and the environment initiative.  The full Senate
>will vote this week on the NSF budget. The Senate's funding level will
>have to be reconciled with the much lower budget appropriated by the
>U.S. House of Representatives ($275 million below the Administration's
>request).  The House voted to approve $35 million for the biocomplexity
>initiative.
>
>The Senate bill includes accompanying report language expressing the
>Committee's interests with respect to NSF.  This language states, in
>part, "the Committee is also supportive of NSF's 'biocomplexity and the
>environment' activities in fostering research in environmental science,
>engineering, and education.  NSF's proposal to expand this focused
>multi-disciplinary initiative is of great interest to the Committee.
>This field of research may help advance our understanding of
>environmental systems and its role in vital natural resources.  An
>interdisciplinary approach that encompasses a wide range of fields such
>as biology, chemistry, and engineering greatly enhances our ability to
>understand the makeup of plants and may lead to new biotechnology
>advances that will help transform crops into hardier, pest-resistant
>crops. . . "
>
>Although the language does not specifically refer to the National
>Science Board's interim report, "Environmental Science and Engineering
>in the 21st Century: the role of the National Science Foundation," it
>sends a very positive signal regarding that report as well as providing
>needed dollars for the biocomplexity initiative.
>
>This is the key time for people concerned about the NSF budget to
>contact your Representatives and Senators to support the NSF budget.
>The Committee for the NIE has written to key Members of Congress urging
>them to support or even increase the Senate committee's appropriation
>for NSF.
>
>In addition to your own Representatives and Senators, key members of
>Congress are:
>
>Hon. James Walsh (R-NY), Chair,  and Hon. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), Ranking
>Democrat,
>   House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies
>
>Hon. C.W. Young (R-FL), Chair, and Hon. David Obey (D-WI), Ranking
>Democrat,
>    House Appropriations Committee
>
>Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO), Chairman and Senator Barbara Mikulski
>(D-MD), Ranking Democrat
>    Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent
>Agencies
>
>Senator Ted Stevens (D-AK), Chair and Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV),
>Ranking Democrat,
>    Senate Appropriations Committee


____________________________________________________

James H. Beach
Assistant Director for Informatics
Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center
Dyche Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045
E-mail: jbeach at ukans.edu
Tel: (785) 864-4645, Fax: (785) 864-5335
NetMeeting: beachnt.nhm.ukans.edu