Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Policy

Senate Rejects House Budget Cuts

Congress: Legislators remain divided about how much to reduce fiscal 2011 spending

by David J. Hanson
March 14, 2011 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 89, Issue 11

[+]Enlarge
Credit: Associated Press
Senate Majority Leader Reid blasted Republicans’ proposed budget cuts.
Credit: Associated Press
Senate Majority Leader Reid blasted Republicans’ proposed budget cuts.

The Senate rejected two proposals for completing the 2011 federal budget last week, one that was passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives that included deep cuts and a second plan of more modest cuts proposed by Senate Democrats. Both measures would have reduced discretionary spending, including federal R&D spending, for the remaining months of the fiscal year.

The defeat of these measures means that Republicans and Democrats will have to restart budget negotiations. The federal government is operating on a short-term continuing resolution that expires on March 18 (C&EN, March 7, page 8). If Congress cannot pass a budget for the rest of the year by that date, or pass another continuing resolution, the government will shut down.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) blasted Republican spending plans as “reckless” and said that it’s time for GOP legislators to work with Democrats on a “responsible, long-term solution that funds our government for the rest of the year, makes responsible cuts, and safeguards our fragile economic recovery.”

The House measure, H.R. 1, would have cut 2011 spending by $61 billion relative to 2010 spending (C&EN, Feb. 28, page 7), whereas Senate Democrats would cut $11 billion. Scientific and technology groups criticized the House bill as far too damaging to the U.S.’s R&D programs.

In a March 3 letter to Reid, the Task Force on American Innovation, a coalition of companies, scientific societies, and research universities, said the House measure “would make deep cuts” to federal science agencies. The American Chemical Society, which publishes C&EN, is a member of this coalition.

In a statement, the Obama Administration expressed its willingness to work with Republicans and Democrats to “find common ground” on budget cuts. But the Administration also stressed the need to “ensure we cut responsibly, and that we don’t undermine growth and competitiveness by cutting investments in education and research and development.”

Advertisement

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.