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