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Budget Agreement Boosts US Science (sciencemag.org)

Posted by Soulskill on from the all-about-the-benjamins dept.

sciencehabit writes: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) leads the way among U.S science agencies getting increases in the final 2016 spending bill released today. NIH is the winner in absolute dollars. It gets a bump of $2 billion, or 6.6%, from its current budget of $30.1 billion. Spending on science programs at NASA would grow by 6.6%, to $5.6 billion, and rise by 5.6% in the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science, to $5.35 billion. The National Science Foundation would receive an additional $119 million, or 1.6%, to $7.46 billion, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy would get a 6% boost, to $291 million. NASA in particular got great allocations for planetary science and commercial crew.

3 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by MachineShedFred · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now all they need to do is pass the thing. Does anyone know what kind of poison pill has been inserted yet, which will cause somebody to get off the boat and sink it? We all know there is one...

    It's a sad state when the budget process has been reduced to such cynicism, but here we are.

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    1. Re:Great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Now all they need to do is pass the thing. Does anyone know what kind of poison pill has been inserted yet, which will cause somebody to get off the boat and sink it? We all know there is one...

      They actually somewhat compromised, hoping Obama will sign the damn thing.

      Republicans gave up defunding Planned Parenthood.
      Democrats pulled out proposed additional gun control.
      Republicans gave in on not adding vetting for Syrian refugees.
      Possibly some others.

      Sounds like they actually want this passed.

      I'm sure it's full of pork, but aren't they all.

  2. Re:This is agreed by Obama, Democrats and Republic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Taxes on health insurance and medical care? Wtf.

    Tax the thing you are trying to make more affordable. Nice.

    Well, that all depends on who they're trying to make it affordable for.

    In this case, it's taking money from people who already had insurance to pay for those who didn't. That's why people who oppose Obamacare oppose it. It's a direct hit on the middle class, who are already carrying the majority of the tax burden.

    But tell people it's free health care and they want it.