ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

US Senate says White House’s proposed DOE budget cuts are “short-sighted,” increases funding instead

Hahaha.

Alexandru MicubyAlexandru Micu
July 25, 2017
in News, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Senate budget makers shut down the DOE research budget cuts proposed by the White House in May and left no room for interpretation as to why.

“The Committee definitively rejects this short-sighted proposal, and instead increases investment in this transformational program and directs the Department to continue to spend funds provided on research and development and program direction,” the Senate appropriations committee wrote in a report penned alongside a bill funding the Department of Energy.

Origami dollar.
Money well spent.
Image credits lukaswafl / Pixabay

We all know by now that the current U.S. administration has a bone to pick with certain fields of scientific pursuit. Back in May, that grudge materialized in some very drastic cuts to several of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) basic and applied research programs. Among the White House’s list of undesirables for the new fiscal year (beginning 1st of October,) one could find the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), an 8-year-old agency which works to turn the most promising ideas from basic research into workable energy technologies. The ARPA-E was earmarked for complete shut-down under the new budget proposal.

That proposal went through the House of Representatives, but Senate appropriators shot it down as soon as they saw it. “The Committee definitively rejects this short-sighted proposal,” they write in their report, and would actually increase ARPA-E’s budget by 8% (to US$330 million.) The report also explicitly forbids the DOE from using monetary constraints to shut down the program.

The DOE’s Office of Science would also see its biological and environmental research (BER) budget gutted by 43% (down to US$349 million.) Similarly, the appropriations committee “rejects the short-sighted reductions proposed in the budget request” and would see BER funding increased by 3% (to US$630 million.)

Some areas, however, will see cuts. The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s applied research budget will see a 7% cut compared to last year, to US$1.937 billion. Still, that’s way more than what the White House proposed — only US$636 million. The Senate appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development would also cut 39% off fusion energy R&D (to US$232 million,) and discontinue the US’ involvement in the international fusion project, ITER, currently under construction in France.

Still, it’s good to see that the US will not readily surrender its long-term pursuit of science (especially pertaining to environmental sciences, which are now more desperately needed than ever) to appease a passing administration.

You can read the full report on the Senate’s appropriation committee’s website.

RelatedPosts

Giant squids take to California
Storms May Delay Endeavour Launch
France’s import of brainpower will likely make it a nexus of climate science
Immune cells from the common cold offer protection against COVID-19, researchers find
Tags: Appropriation CommitteebudgetDOEfundingResearchScience

ShareTweetShare
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

Related Posts

Climate

Trump’s Budget Plan Is Eviscerating NASA and NOAA Science

byMihai Andrei
2 months ago
Economics

The US wants to know if researchers in other countries follow MAGA doctrine

byMihai Andrei
3 months ago
Economics

Trump’s War on Science Is Fueling a Brain Drain in Real Time

byMihai Andrei
3 months ago
News

Scientists slam American Society for Microbiology for taking down features of non-white researchers

byMihai Andrei
4 months ago

Recent news

This Rare Viking Burial of a Woman and Her Dog Shows That Grief and Love Haven’t Changed in a Thousand Years

June 17, 2025

This EV Battery Charges in 18 Seconds and It’s Already Street Legal

June 16, 2025

This new blood test could find cancerous tumors three years before any symptoms

June 16, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.