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AAAS Cautiously Optimistic of Clinton Budget,
But Warns of Reliance on Tobacco Settlement and Slant
Toward Health Research The significant increases in funding for research and development programs called for in President Clinton's 1999 budget proposal are encouraging, but uneven and heavily dependent upon revenues from an undetermined tobacco settlement, according to a preview of the annual budget analysis released this week by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The analysis raises concerns about the source of the increases slated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other R&D funding agencies. A major portion would come from the Research Fund for America, which will be built from tobacco settlement revenues. If a settlement is not reached, the White House may have to propose alternate funding sources for the increases, and may be forced to dip into the budget surplus, go beyond the spending caps, or reallocate money intended to fund other programs. Another concern in the report is that the bulk of the increases in the President's proposal will support health and life science programs. According to the AAAS analysis, these programs often depend upon the research successes in the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics -- areas which are not slated for major increases. Increases in nondefense R&D are concentrated among only three agencies -- NIH, NSF, and the Department of Energy (DOE). The AAAS analysis indicates that the President's budget request includes a 2.2 percent or $1.7 billion increase for R&D over the current FY 1998 funding level. After adjusting for inflation, the request represents a slight overall increase of less than one percent "While the proposal is a positive one, and we are optimistic about it, it's neither balanced nor straightforward," said Al Teich, director of the AAAS Science and Policy programs. "Despite strong expressions of support for R&D from Congress and the White House, there are no guarantees on the final outcome. Between tobacco and highways, there are just too many variables this year." The full AAAS report will be presented April 29-May 1 in Washington. Teich presented a preview analysis yesterday at a forum sponsored by AAAS and the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) -- a joint committee of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. See also: Selected Excerpts: 1st appeared 4/23/98 |
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