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U.S. Science Agencies Get Some Relief In 2014 Budget

Posted by Unknown on from the make-science-not-war dept.

sciencehabit writes "The ghost of former President George W. Bush permeates the 2014 budget that Congress released this week. His presence is good news for physical scientists, but less cheery for biomedical researchers, as Congress reserved some of the biggest spending increases for NASA and the Department of Energy. The National Institutes of Health, meanwhile, got a $1 billion increase that is drawing mixed reviews from research advocates."

6 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Suck it NIH by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think anybody called it "useless". They simply stated that NASA has a better ROI and deserved more of a budget increase.

    They didn't DEFUND the NIH. They just gave them less of an increase. The real world isn't binary where it's all or nothing.

    --
    "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  2. Raise Taxes! by TemperedAlchemist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And give it all to NASA, pls.

  3. Re:Flat is the new up by ganjadude · · Score: 3, Informative

    we are still spending more than the previous year. so yes it is a spending increase

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  4. Ghost of GWB by jarich · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ghost of GWB?

    How many years has Obama been in office? Eventually you've got to give him some credit... you know, what with the 2nd term and all....

    --
    Agile Artisans
    1. Re:Ghost of GWB by Solandri · · Score: 3, Informative

      The biggest increase (in raw dollars) in R&D spending in recent years (both defense and non-defense) happened under Bush's administration. Obama has more or less been holding non-defense R&D spending steady until it spiked last year, while cutting defense R&D.

      In my book, holding a past increase steady warrants credit too (Obama resisted the urge to cut it back down to save money). But credit for bringing us up to current levels has to go to Bush. (Lots more pretty graphs to look at.)

  5. Technology by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Economics tells us that there are only two real things that cause economic growth.

    1. Population growth.
    2. Technological progress.

    We need as much of the latter as possible, and should address that goal with the full intent of the nation starting with generous public support of math and science education as early as possible in the life of our children.

    Furthermore any public constraint or impediment towards that end should be uprooted and eradicated with extreme vigor and prejudice.

    The motivation is nothing short of the survival of the human species.