Show Me Your Budget
https://www.science.org/content/article/biden-s-2023-budget-request-science-aims-high-again
One of President Joe Biden’s favorite lines is “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” In announcing his federal budget plan on March 9, President Biden was clearly setting down his priorities, hopes, and even campaign material. But presidential budgets are mostly aspirational, the stuff of the bully pulpit. Same for the Congressional budget process which in effect, sets guidelines, but does not decide final, real dollar amounts. The actual money that eventually goes to Pell Grants, or flows to STEM research, must be passed in Congress as an appropriation through different appropriations subcommittees. Right now, you may be following recent updates in the legislative process, but how about the Congressional appropriations process? The appropriations process is arguably just as important (if not more important than) the environmental, justice and research bills you might be tracking, especially in a gridlocked Congress. The appropriations process is vitally important because it ensures that federal programs are set up to respond to what’s going on in the world today, from climate research to public education.
When President Biden released his budget request for Fiscal Year 2024, it began a months-long process that, more often than not, results in Congress passing an appropriations package to fund the federal government. President Biden’s budget request aims to invest in your education, by increasing Pell Grants by $820, proposing a new tuition grant for students attending HBCUs, and including $90 billion over ten years towards free community college.
Biden’s budget request contains thousands of programmatic requests, but here are some of the items that RCC is most excited about:
$15 million for a new fellowship at NSF that would fund researchers studying disparate impacts of climate change.
$170 million for EPA to continue working toward commitments made in the 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap, including: increasing knowledge of PFAS impacts to human health and ecological effects; restricting use to prevent PFAS from entering the air, land, and water; and remediating PFAS that have been released into the environment.
$135 million to the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program to develop high-quality recreation opportunities in economically disadvantaged urban communities.
The Budget saves $31 billion by eliminating special tax treatment for oil and gas company investments.
Over $4 billion to support identifying, prioritizing, and accelerating innovation in advanced technologies to help the U.S. reach its net-zero 2050 climate goal and support global decarbonization.
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Susan Collins
However, there is a long road ahead before these funds can be implemented. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, headed by Senators Patty Murray and Susan Collins and Representatives Kay Granger and Rosa DeLauro, are working on budget resolutions which will help set spending levels for each of the 12 appropriations bills. Before the end of September, appropriators will hold budget hearings, finalize spending levels, write the appropriations bills, conference differences between the House and Senate versions, and vote yes in both chambers, or they will need to pass a Continuing Resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
In a divided Congress, an appropriations package is often one of the biggest opportunities that legislators have to pass their priorities. The RCC will be closely monitoring this year to make sure that climate, clean air and water, and environmental justice programs make it into a final appropriations bill. Follow along with us for updates, action alerts, and insights!
— Maya Cohn, RCC Director of Policy and Programs
