Late last week, Congress completed work on an omnibus appropriations bill to finalize funding for federal FY18 and avoid another government shutdown.
Late last week, Congress completed work on an omnibus appropriations bill to finalize funding for federal FY18 (October 1, 2017 - September 30, 2018) and avoid another government shutdown.
In a testament to the work of faculty, staff, and students across the United States, Congress funded many of the priorities of the higher education and research community. With this bill, Congress sent a strong message of its funding priorities and how they sharply contrast with the Trump Administration's proposals.
A quick look at some of our priorities:
National Institutes of Health (NIH): The omnibus provides funding for NIH at $37.084 billion, a $3 billion, or 8.8 percent, increase above FY17. This figure includes $496 million from the 21st Century Cures Act. The agreement also directs NIH to delay enforcement of the clinical trials expansion, maintains the salary cap at Executive Level II.
National Science Foundation (NSF): The omnibus provides $7.8 billion for NSF, a $295 million, or 4 percent, increase above FY17.
United States Department of Agriculture : The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will receive a $1.41 billion, or 3.3 percent, increase above FY17. Within NIFA, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative is funded at $400 million, a $25 million, or 6.7 percent, increase above FY17.
Department of Energy (DOE): The omnibus provides $6.26 billion for the DOE Office of Science, an $868 million, or 16 percent, increase above FY17. The measure also funds the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy at $353 million, a $47 million, or 15.5 percent, increase above FY17.
Department of Education (ED): The omnibus funds the Pell Grant program at $22.475 billion and in combination with mandatory funding the maximum award is raised to $6,095 (+$175). Other ED programs:
- Federal Work Study will be funded at $1.13 billion, a $140 million, or 14.1 percent, increase above FY17
- The Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant will be funded at $840 million, a $107 million, or 14.6 percent, increase above FY17
- The Institute of Education Sciences will be funded at $613.5 million, a $8 million, or 1.4 percent, increase above FY17
- International Education and Foreign Language Studies (Title VI) will be funded at $72 million, the same level as FY17
Senators Klobuchar and Smith voted in favor of the bill, as did Representatives McCollum and Paulsen. Congressmen Lewis, Ellison, Emmer, Peterson, and Nolan voted against the bill. Representative Walz did not vote.