Impact of the Elections

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Impact of the Elections
David Applegate American Geological
Institute National Research Council Committee on
Earth Resources November 2002
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Senate Environment Public Works Cmte
The Big Change
Old Chair Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
New Chair Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
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(No Transcript)
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FY 2003 Appropriations




Details at www.agiweb.org/gap
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Presidentially Requested Transfers The
Two-Sided Problem

• Programs to NSF
• NOAA Sea Grant (57 million)
• USGS Toxic Substance Hydrology (10 million)
• EPA Environmental Education (9 million)
• NSF Geosciences Directorate w/o Transfers
• As a whole ( 1.2 NOT 13.4)
• Earth Sciences Division ( 3.6 NOT 21.2)
• Ocean Sciences Division ( -2 NOT 13.5)
• Atmospheric Sciences Division ( 4 NOT 8.4)

Both House and Senate Reject Transfers, Boost GEO
Base Programs by 15 (House) and 12 (Senate)
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EarthScope
Poised to become first-ever Earth science project
funded through the NSFs Major Research Equipment
account.

• Presidents FY 2003 budget request 35 million
• Senate Appropriations Committee 20 million
• House Appropriations Committee 40 million
• First installment of 5-year, 200 million program

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Geoscience-Related Programs in the Presidents FY
2003 Request

• U.S. Geological Survey (867.3 million, down 5)
• Geologic Division down 3.5
• Cut to Geologic Mapping (-6 million)
• Water Resources Division down 14
• Cut/Transfer Toxic Substances Hydrology (-14
  million) and Water Resource Research Institutes
  (-6 million)
• Cuts to NAWQA (-6 million), Streamgage Network
  (-2 million)
• National Mapping Division down 3
• Biological Resources Division down 3.5
• NASA Office of Earth Science (1.6 billion, up
  0.2)
• NOAA down 1.5

The good news Congress put it back The bad news
FY 2004 could be worse
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House Appropriations Committee
House Republicans voted Thursday to grant the
GOP Steering Committee the right to veto the
selection of the powerful "cardinals" who rule
the Appropriations Committee's 13 subcommittees,
giving the Republican leadership and the White
House a leg up in controlling domestic spending
heading into next year's FY '04 budget process.
The vote effectively means the House GOP
leadership, led by Speaker Dennis Hastert
(R-Ill.) and Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas),
will be able to determine who fills the coveted
cardinal slots, turning aside the Appropriations
Committee chairman's traditional right to appoint
the cardinals without oversight. EE Daily,
11-15-02

• Open slots
• Interior Related Agencies
• Energy Water

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Senate Appropriations Committee
Stevens has had some well-publicized clashes
with the director of the Office of Management and
Budget, with Stevens at one time saying that
Director Mitchell Daniels could best defuse a
spending conflict by going home to Indiana.  AIP
FYI
New Chair Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Old Chair Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
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Energy and the Earth Sciences
Nuclear
Fossil Fuels
Hydropower
Geothermal
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Senate Energy Natural Resources Cmte
New Mexico
New Chair Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Old Chair Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
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Comprehensive Energy Bill Issues in Play

• Electricity deregulation
• Renewable portfolio standards
• Climate
• Ethanol
• ANWR
• Taxes

3 Options
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Geoscience National Security
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Homeland Security Geoscience Role?

• Proposed Department of Homeland Security
• Would swallow all or part of 22 federal agencies
• 170,000 employees, 35-42 billion budget
• Emergency Preparedness Response Directorate
• FEMA and other preparedness offices
• Science Technology Directorate
• Identify RD needs, coordinate research, advise
  Secretary
• National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002
• Response to WTC investigation
• NTSB approach applies to all building disasters
• Blueprint for all-hazards approach

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Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Co-Chairs
Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)
Senator Akaka of Hawaii Senator Boxer of
California Senator Breaux of Louisiana Senator
Byrd of West Virginia Senator Cantwell of
Washington Senator Cleland of Georgia Senator
Cochran of Mississippi Senator Conrad of North
Dakota
Senator Dorgan of North Dakota Senator Feinstein
of California Senator Graham of Florida Senator
Inouye of Hawaii Senator Murkowski of
Alaska Senator Schumer of New York Senator
Torricelli of New Jersey Senator Wyden of Oregon
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For more information
www.agiweb.org/gap