2
GOVERNMENT Legislation Budget, other topics keep Congress busy Members of Congress have been busy, as they always are during the first days of a new session, debating with the Administration and each other the issue of just how much money is enough for the various feder- al programs in the coming fiscal year. Although a spending freeze is remotely possible, the outcome of the debate probably will be acceptance of President Reagan's budget proposal with minor additions and subtractions. Minor in this case means millions, and for some items hundreds of millions, of dollars. However, federal R&D budgets most probably will adhere quite closely to the budget proposal. The budget debate, however, will not take up all of Congress' time, as can be seen by a recently issued House report that details what issues various commit- tees will be looking at during the coming year and a half. For example, the Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Research & Foreign Agricul- ture will be reviewing EPA's pesticide regulatory ac- tivities, agriculture research, and research needs and regulatory options in biotechnology. The Armed Services Subcommittee on Research & Development plans to assess the relationship of the Department of Defense R&D program to those of other agencies and colleges and universities to gauge the viability of the nation's science programs. It also intends to establish whether the investment in de- fense R&D has produced an acceptable return. Mean- while, the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Arms Control, International Security & Science will be reviewing the arms control and foreign policy impli- cations of the U.S. chemical weapons program. The Subcommittee on Asian & Pacific Affairs will be review- ing the implications of the chemical accident in Bhopal, India, focusing on the question of adequate safety standards for U.S. plants in developing countries. On the health front, the Education & Labor Sub- committee on Health & Safety will be devising a legislative remedy to compensate occupational disease victims. The Energy & Commerce Committee will be continuing an extensive investigation into the bene- fits and risks associated with biotechnology and conducting a series of hearings on various issues re- lated to the National Institutes of Health, including the growing commercialization of research and the regulation of genetic engineering. The Science & Technology Committee is planning a series of on-site hearings at the Department of Ener- gy's multiprogram laboratories as well as investiga- tions of the issues involved in international scientific cooperation, restoring university research capacity, and toxic chemical groundwater contamination. Janice Long, Washington Authorization. (H.R. 1872, S. 674) Set DOD's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $39.3 billion (H.R. 1210, S. 801) Set NSF's fiscal 1986 budget ceiling at about $1.6 billion (H.R. 1798) Sets DOE's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at about $2.8 billion (H.R. 1714) Sets NASA's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $2.8 billion (H.R. 1617, S. 796) Set NBS's fiscal 1986 budget ceiling at about $128 million Administration requested $325 million for EPA R&D programs in fiscal 1986. Business. (H.R. 998, 1074, 1075, 1515). Tighten notification, other requirements for mergers, temporarily prohibit hostile corporate takeovers (S. 100) Establishes uniform, national product liability law that permits multiple awards for reckless behavior Environment. (H.R. 1978, S, 51, 596) Expand Superfund through combination of increased feedstock taxes, new fees on waste disposal; provide for victim compensation (H.R. 8, S. 53, 652) Extend cleanup deadlines for industry dis- charges into waterways, cleanup of toxic hot spots (H.R. 1649, S. 124) Set deadlines for issuance of drinking water contaminant standards, require monitoring of supplies for other contaminants (S. 309) Makes it easier to remove from the market pesticides whose registrations contain health and safety data gaps (H.R. 967,1030, S. 52) Require reductions in sulfur dioxide, ni- trogen oxide emissions to curb acid rain and/or regulation of hazardous air pollutants Health (H.R. 791, S. 484) Extends Congress' ban on FDA's proscription on saccharin until 5/1/88 Nuclear. (H.R. 862, 1046, 1083, 1267, S. 44, 356, 442, 655) Extend deadline for establishing regional facilities for disposal of low-level radioactive waste, approve agreements reached on such facilities Research. (H. J. Res. 136, S. J. Res. 89) Direct NIH to fund the full 6526 grants approved by Congress in fiscal 1985, rather than the planned 5000 Taxes. (H.R. 777,800, S. 409,411) Simplify tax laws by elimi- nating most credits, deductions, exclusion, broaden tax base, reduce rates Trade. (H.R. 1786) Limits President's authority to control exports for foreign policy purposes, prohibits restrictions on scholarly exchanges of scientific information 18 April 15, 1985 C&EN

Budget, other topics keep Congress busy

  • Upload
    janice

  • View
    212

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Budget, other topics keep Congress busy

GOVERNMENT

Legislation

Budget, other topics keep Congress busy Members of Congress have been busy, as they always are during the first days of a new session, debating with the Administration and each other the issue of just how much money is enough for the various feder­al programs in the coming fiscal year.

Although a spending freeze is remotely possible, the outcome of the debate probably will be acceptance of President Reagan's budget proposal with minor additions and subtractions. Minor in this case means millions, and for some items hundreds of millions, of dollars. However, federal R&D budgets most probably will adhere quite closely to the budget proposal.

The budget debate, however, will not take up all of Congress' time, as can be seen by a recently issued House report that details what issues various commit­tees will be looking at during the coming year and a half. For example, the Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Research & Foreign Agricul­ture will be reviewing EPA's pesticide regulatory ac­tivities, agriculture research, and research needs and regulatory options in biotechnology.

The Armed Services Subcommittee on Research & Development plans to assess the relationship of the Department of Defense R&D program to those of other agencies and colleges and universities to gauge the viability of the nation's science programs. It also intends to establish whether the investment in de­fense R&D has produced an acceptable return. Mean­while, the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Arms Control, International Security & Science will be reviewing the arms control and foreign policy impli­cations of the U.S. chemical weapons program. The Subcommittee on Asian & Pacific Affairs will be review­ing the implications of the chemical accident in Bhopal, India, focusing on the question of adequate safety standards for U.S. plants in developing countries.

On the health front, the Education & Labor Sub­committee on Health & Safety will be devising a legislative remedy to compensate occupational disease victims. The Energy & Commerce Committee will be continuing an extensive investigation into the bene­fits and risks associated with biotechnology and conducting a series of hearings on various issues re­lated to the National Institutes of Health, including the growing commercialization of research and the regulation of genetic engineering.

The Science & Technology Committee is planning a series of on-site hearings at the Department of Ener­gy's multiprogram laboratories as well as investiga­tions of the issues involved in international scientific cooperation, restoring university research capacity, and toxic chemical groundwater contamination.

Janice Long, Washington

Authorization. (H.R. 1872, S. 674) Set DOD's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $39.3 billion

(H.R. 1210, S. 801) Set NSF's fiscal 1986 budget ceiling at about $1.6 billion

(H.R. 1798) Sets DOE's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at about $2.8 billion

(H.R. 1714) Sets NASA's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $2.8 billion

(H.R. 1617, S. 796) Set NBS's fiscal 1986 budget ceiling at about $128 million

Administration requested $325 million for EPA R&D programs in fiscal 1986.

Business. (H.R. 998, 1074, 1075, 1515). Tighten notification, other requirements for mergers, temporarily prohibit hostile corporate takeovers

(S. 100) Establishes uniform, national product liability law that permits multiple awards for reckless behavior

Environment. (H.R. 1978, S, 51, 596) Expand Superfund through combination of increased feedstock taxes, new fees on waste disposal; provide for victim compensation

(H.R. 8, S. 53, 652) Extend cleanup deadlines for industry dis­charges into waterways, cleanup of toxic hot spots

(H.R. 1649, S. 124) Set deadlines for issuance of drinking water contaminant standards, require monitoring of supplies for other contaminants

(S. 309) Makes it easier to remove from the market pesticides whose registrations contain health and safety data gaps

(H.R. 967,1030, S. 52) Require reductions in sulfur dioxide, ni­trogen oxide emissions to curb acid rain and/or regulation of hazardous air pollutants

Health (H.R. 791, S. 484) Extends Congress' ban on FDA's proscription on saccharin until 5/1/88

Nuclear. (H.R. 862, 1046, 1083, 1267, S. 44, 356, 442, 655) Extend deadline for establishing regional facilities for disposal of low-level radioactive waste, approve agreements reached on such facilities

Research. (H. J. Res. 136, S. J. Res. 89) Direct NIH to fund the full 6526 grants approved by Congress in fiscal 1985, rather than the planned 5000

Taxes. (H.R. 777,800, S. 409,411) Simplify tax laws by elimi­nating most credits, deductions, exclusion, broaden tax base, reduce rates

Trade. (H.R. 1786) Limits President's authority to control exports for foreign policy purposes, prohibits restrictions on scholarly exchanges of scientific information

18 April 15, 1985 C&EN

Page 2: Budget, other topics keep Congress busy

House committee House floor Senate committee

Senate fioor Outlook

Armed Services. Subcommittee on R&D began hearings 3/7/85

Science & Technology. Ordered reported, amended 4/3/85

Science & Technology. Ordered reported, amended 4/2/85. Interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy & the Environment markup scheduled for 4/16/85

Science & Technology. Reported, amended 3/28/85 (H. Rept. 99-32)

Science & Technology. Ordered reported, amended 4/3/85

Science & Technology. Subcommittee on Natural Resources, Agriculture Research & Environment markup scheduled for 4/18/85

Judiciary. Subcommittee on Monopolies & Commercial Law concluded hearings 4/3/85. Ways & Means. Subcommittees on Oversight and Select Revenue Measures scheduled to begin hearings 4/16/85

Passed, amended 4/3/85

Armed Services. Ordered an original bill reported 4/4/85

Commerce, Science & Transportation. Ordered an original bill reported 4/2/85. Labor & Human Resources. Hearing not yet scheduled

Energy & Natural Resources. Began hearings 2/28/85

Commerce, Science & Transportation. Subcommittee on Science, Technology & Space concluded hearings 4/4/85

Commerce, Science & Transportation. Ordered reported, amended 4/2/85

Environment & Public Works. Began hearings 2/21/85

Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs. Subcommittee on Securities concluded

Enactment certain

Enactment possible

Enactment possible

Enactment likely

Enactment likely

Enactment likely

Enactment possible

oversight hearings 4/4/85

Commerce, Science & Transportation. Subcommittee on Consumer concluded hearings 3/21/85

Enactment possible

Energy & Commerce. Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation & Tourism began hearings 3/7/85. Public Works & Transportation. Subcommittee on Water Resources began hearings 3/26/85

Public Works & Transportation. Subcommittee on Water Resources may hold hearings, plans markup in late April

Energy & Commerce. Hearings planned, but not scheduled

Agriculture. Subcommittee on Department Operations, Research & Foreign Agriculture scheduled to begin hearings 4/16/85

Energy & Commerce. Subcommittees on Health & the Environment, and Commerce, Transportation & Tourism held joint hearings on hazardous air pollutants 3/26/85. Subcommittee on Fossil & Synthetic Fuels held acid rain hearing 3/28/85

Environment & Public Works. Reported, amended 3/18/85 (S. Rept. 99-11). Finance. Hearing not yet scheduled

Environment & Public Works. Subcommittee on Environmental Pollution concluded hearings 3/28/85, markup scheduled 4/25/85

Environment & Public Works. Subcommittee on Toxic Substances concluded hearings 3/2/85, markup scheduled for late April

Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry. Hearings not yet scheduled

Environment & Public Works. Expected to begin work in late spring

Enactment likely

Enactment likely

Enactment likely

Enactment possible

Enactment likely

Energy & Commerce. No hearings yet scheduled

Labor & Human Resources. Concluded hearings 4/2/85

Enactment certain

Interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy & the Environment held hearings 3/7-8/85

Judiciary. Held hearing 3/8/85 Enactment likely

Energy & Commerce. Subcommittee on Health & the Environment began hearings 4/1/85

Labor & Human Resources. No hearings yet scheduled

Enactment possible

Ways & Means. Began hearings 2/27/85 Finance. Hearings not yet scheduled Enactment possible

Foreign Affairs. Ordered reported, amended 4/4/85

Enactment possible

April 15, 1985 C&EN 19